Total births
10,840
Boys' name · since 1904
Cordell
Cordell has 10,840 recorded births since 1904 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1998 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2138
- among boys today
- 10,840
- born since 1904
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 85%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Cordell is the #2138 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 10,840 recorded since 1904.
Cordell has 10,840 recorded births among boys since 1904, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #2138 as of the latest data, more common than 85% of boys, busiest in the 1990s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1904 to 2025.
- #2138 among boys today
- 10,840 born since 1904
- 1990s peak decade
- 85% more common than other boys
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Cordell is currently the #2138 boys' name in America, more common than 85% of boys - 10,840 born since 1904, peaking in the 1990s.
- #2138
- among boys today
- 10,840
- born since 1904
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 85%
- more common than other boys
Cordell vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2138
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 85% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named Cordell was born in this single decade.
1998
Single peak year
387 babies were named Cordell in 1998 - its busiest year on record.
How Cordell compares
10,840 Top 8% higher than 92% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Cordell's all-time total is 30x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Cordell | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 10,840 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 387 | 23 | 22,252 |
Cordell's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Cordell's SSA record in two at 1967 and the more recent half accounts for 78% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 22%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1904, with only 6 births recorded -- set against the 1998 peak of 387, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Cordell at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1998
Current rank
#2,138
Active since
1904
Cordell popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1904–2025
- Peak year (1998)
- 387
- Annual births at peak, across 122 years of records
Cordell popularity over time - girls
148 total births recorded since 1903 (Cordell as girls' name)
Cordell by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Cordell's strongest decade.
2,423 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Cordell births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 19
1900s
19 births
- 1910s 167
1910s
167 births
- 1920s 263
1920s
263 births
- 1930s 366
1930s
366 births
- 1940s 579
1940s
579 births
- 1950s 560
1950s
560 births
- 1960s 702
1960s
702 births
- 1970s 838
1970s
838 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,317 births
- 1990s
1990s
2,423 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,961 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,151 births
- 2020s 494
2020s
494 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 2,423 births (22% of all-time use).
How Cordell compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Cordell's total volume
Cordell vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Cordell by state
Where Cordell concentrates geographically, total births since 1904
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Illinois | | 772 | 7.1% |
| #2 | Texas | | 471 | 4.3% |
| #3 | Tennessee | | 445 | 4.1% |
| #4 | California | | 430 | 4.0% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 397 | 3.7% |
| #6 | New York | | 367 | 3.4% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 354 | 3.3% |
| #8 | Florida | | 346 | 3.2% |
Illinois share of Cordell's total US births 7.1%
Even split
772 of 10,840 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 41 reporting states.
Cordell appears in 41 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Cordell? ▼
Since 1904, Social Security records show 10,840 babies named Cordell. Today it holds rank #2138 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1998, with 387 births.
When was Cordell most popular? ▼
Cordell was most popular in the 1990s decade with 2,423 total births. The single peak year was 1998.
Where is Cordell most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Cordell are Illinois (772 births), Texas (471 births), Tennessee (445 births).
How long has the name Cordell been used? ▼
Records for Cordell go back to 1904, giving 122 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Cordell? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Corey, Cory, Corbin, Cornelius, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Cordell's data
- Cordell's decade-level peak was the 1990s (2,423 total births); usage has since declined to 494 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Illinois records the most Cordells (772 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Illinois names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Cordell
Nearby Names Like Cordell
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cordell
Corey Boy
#677 185,020 births
Cory Boy
#1096 127,179 births
Corbin Boy
#474 41,112 births
Cornelius Boy
#2157 36,407 births
Cornell Boy
#4438 11,347 births
Compare Cordell side by side: Cordell vs Corey Cordell vs Cory Cordell vs Corbin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Cordell
Data Sources
Data as of July 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1904–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Cordell: #2138 Boys' Name - 10,840 Births, Peak 1998." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/cordell. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Cordell draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026.