Cori

♀ Girl

Pronounced KAWR-ee /ˈkɔɹ.i/Medium

Meaning: Diminutive of Corinne, Cora, or Corinna, which derive from Greek 'kore' meaning 'maiden, young girl'.Medium

In 30 seconds: Cori is a short, friendly form of Corinne, Cora, or Corinna, names that trace back to the Greek 'kore', meaning maiden or young girl. It keeps that bright, youthful meaning in a single quick syllable.

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Origin MediumEnglish, Greek

MeaningDiminutive of Corinne, Cora, or Corinna, which derive from Greek 'kore' meaning 'maiden, young girl'.

U.S. rank (2025)#1932 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births100 girls (0.01% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1977

Total births (all-time)≈ 12,198

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

The longer names behind Cori all draw on Greek 'kore', a word for a girl or maiden. Over time the trim ending of Corinne and Cora gave parents an easy nickname that hardened into a name of its own. Cori is one of several spellings of that pet form, alongside Corie and Corrie.

The name sits in a cluster of look-alikes, from the softer Corie and Corrie to the K-spelled Kori and Korey, and the more masculine-leaning Cory. The choice of spelling often comes down to how round or how sharp a parent wants the name to feel.

Did you know? The meaning attached to Cori is 'maiden', from Greek kore by way of Corinne and Cora, and that core idea is what gives the name most of its long-term appeal.

Overall data confidence 78%

Behind the Name - Cori — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

CorieCorrieKoriCoryKorey

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

★Cori Morris (1971–present)
Female public figure listed on Behind the Name.

If you like Cori…

Kori— The K-spelled version of Cori, identical in sound and meaning.

Corinne— One of the full names Cori shortens, from Greek 'kore' for maiden.

Cora— A parent name to Cori, also built on the 'kore' root for young girl.

Lori— echoes that soft -ri sound

Kapri— shares Cori's English roots

Explore names like Cori

By themeenglish

By meaningYouth

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Cori mean?

Cori means 'maiden'. It is a diminutive of Corinne or Cora, from the Greek kore, in the English tradition.

How do you pronounce Cori?

It's commonly said KAWR-ee /ˈkɔɹ.i/.

Is Cori a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Cori is used as a girl name.

How popular is Cori?

In 2024, Cori ranked #1761 in the U.S. for girls, with 114 births recorded.