Total births
36,407
Boys' name · since 1880
Cornelius
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 36,407 babies named Cornelius, peaking in 1974. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2157
- among boys today
- 36,407
- born since 1880
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 85%
- more common than other boys
36,407 babies have been named Cornelius since 1880, making it today's #2157 boys' name.
Cornelius has 36,407 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #2157 as of the latest data, more common than 85% of boys, busiest in the 1980s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #2157 among boys today
- 36,407 born since 1880
- 1980s peak decade
- 85% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Cornelius is currently the #2157 boys' name in America, more common than 85% of boys - 36,407 born since 1880, peaking in the 1980s.
- #2157
- among boys today
- 36,407
- born since 1880
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 85%
- more common than other boys
Cornelius vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2157
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 85% of names given to boys today.
1980s
Peak decade
11% of everyone ever named Cornelius was born in this single decade.
1974
Single peak year
486 babies were named Cornelius in 1974 - its busiest year on record.
How Cornelius compares
36,407 Top 4% higher than 96% 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
Cornelius's all-time total is 99x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Cornelius | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 36,407 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 486 | 23 | 22,252 |
Cornelius's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Cornelius splits its recorded history at 1953: 54% of all births land in the more recent half, 46% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 2024 (68 births) -- compare that against the 1974 peak of 486 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Cornelius at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1974
Current rank
#2,157
Active since
1880
Cornelius popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1974)
- 486
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Cornelius popularity over time - girls
642 total births recorded since 1888 (Cornelius as girls' name)
Cornelius by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Cornelius's strongest decade.
4,080 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 11% of all-time use.
Cornelius births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 911
1880s
911 births
- 1890s 853
1890s
853 births
- 1900s 956
1900s
956 births
- 1910s
1910s
3,066 births
- 1920s
1920s
4,021 births
- 1930s
1930s
3,122 births
- 1940s
1940s
2,733 births
- 1950s
1950s
3,215 births
- 1960s
1960s
2,777 births
- 1970s
1970s
3,975 births
- 1980s
1980s
4,080 births
- 1990s
1990s
2,891 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,923 births
- 2010s 1,360
2010s
1,360 births
- 2020s 524
2020s
524 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 4,080 births (11% of all-time use).
How Cornelius 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 Cornelius's total volume
Cornelius vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Cornelius by state
Where Cornelius concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 2,839 | 7.8% |
| #2 | Illinois | | 2,039 | 5.6% |
| #3 | Florida | | 1,909 | 5.2% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 1,906 | 5.2% |
| #5 | Alabama | | 1,832 | 5.0% |
| #6 | Mississippi | | 1,684 | 4.6% |
| #7 | Texas | | 1,653 | 4.5% |
| #8 | Louisiana | | 1,393 | 3.8% |
New York share of Cornelius's total US births 7.8%
Even split
2,839 of 36,407 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 40 reporting states.
Cornelius appears in 40 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Cornelius? ▼
Cornelius has been given to 36,407 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #2157 as of the latest data. 486 babies were born in 1974, its single highest year.
When was Cornelius most popular? ▼
Cornelius was most popular in the 1980s decade with 4,080 total births. The single peak year was 1974.
Where is Cornelius most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Cornelius are New York (2,839 births), Illinois (2,039 births), Florida (1,909 births).
How long has the name Cornelius been used? ▼
Cornelius has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Cornelius? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Corey, Cory, Corbin, Cornell, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Cornelius's data
- Cornelius's decade-level peak was the 1980s (4,080 total births); usage has since declined to 524 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Corneliuss (2,839 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Cornelius
Nearby Names Like Cornelius
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cornelius
Corey Boy
#677 185,020 births
Cory Boy
#1096 127,179 births
Corbin Boy
#474 41,112 births
Cornell Boy
#4438 11,347 births
Cortez Boy
#1998 10,899 births
Compare Cornelius side by side: Cornelius vs Corey Cornelius vs Cory Cornelius vs Corbin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Cornelius
Earl #2156
289,174 births · Peak 1921
Lino #2158
4,188 births · Peak 2003
Itzae #2155
940 births · Peak 2020
Reeves #2159
977 births · Peak 2024
Luxton #2154
318 births · Peak 2025
Maximillian #2160
5,968 births · Peak 1999
Taytum #2153
621 births · Peak 2024
Demarcus #2161
13,618 births · Peak 1991
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Cornelius: #2157 Boys' Name - 36,407 Births, Peak 1974." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/cornelius. 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 Cornelius 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 June 2026.