Cornelius

Meaning: Possibly horn
Origin: Latin — From a Roman family name

Nicknames: Connie, Con

Boy's name · #1908 in the US (2025) · Timeless

Popularity over time

Cornelius holds its lane: charted since 1880 and rarely far from where it stands today (#1908 in 2025). About 36,000 boys have carried it along the way. In all that time it has never once missed a year of the national records.

Across the states

See where Cornelius is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 8 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Cornelius ranks in other countries and regions.

#232 in Norway (2025) · #604 in Austria (2025) · #739 in Sweden (2025) · #1,944 in Canada (2025) · #3,256 in England & Wales (2025) · #770 in Ireland (2023) · #3,967 in Ecuador (2023) · #3,883 in France (2014) · #311 in Scotland (1985) · #130 in New Zealand (1912).

Famous Corneliuses

Cornelius — Head of the Catholic Church from 251 to 253 (c. 180–253)
Cornelius Nepos — Roman historian and biographer (c. 110–c. 25 BCE)
Cornelius Vanderbilt — American business tycoon (1794–1877)
Cornelius Castoriadis — Greek-French philosopher (1922–1997)
Cornelius Jansen — Dutch Bishop (1585–1638)
Cornelius Ryan — Irish-American journalist and military historian (1920–1974)

In stories & tradition

Cornelius the Centurion — Acts of the Apostles (Bible)
Cornelius Fudge — Harry Potter character
Cornelius Coot — Donald Duck (comics)

What Corneliuses become

Among 951 notable people named Cornelius:

Lawyers & judges appear 2.08× more often than among typical names — e.g. Cornelius van Bynkershoek, Dutch jurist and legal theorist (1673–1743).

Similar names: Sylvester · Cordell · Guy · Julius · Gus · Lucius

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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