Boys' name · since 1890
Cornell
Cornell has 11,347 recorded births since 1890 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1962 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1,119 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #6,157 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 11,347
- born since 1890
- 1950s
- peak decade
Cornell currently ranks #6157 among boys' names in America, with 11,347 babies recorded since 1890.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Cornell has been recorded 11,347 times among boys since 1890, currently ranked #6157 nationally and more common than 56% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1950s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1890 to 2025.
- #1,119 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #6,157 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 11,347 born since 1890
- 1950s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Cornell ranks #1,119 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #6,157 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 11,347 born since 1890, peaking in the 1950s.
- #1,119 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #6,157 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 11,347
- born since 1890
- 1950s
- peak decade
Cornell's 11,347 recorded births place it above 97.53% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
28 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Illinois.
How Cornell compares
11,347 Top 8% higher than 92% of 13,930 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
Cornell's all-time total is 31x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Cornell | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 11,347 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 241 | 34 | 22,252 |
Cornell's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Cornell's SSA record in two at 1964 and the more recent half accounts for 55% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 45%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1896, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1962 peak of 241, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Cornell popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1890–2025
- Peak year (1962)
- 241
- Annual births at peak, across 136 years of records
Cornell popularity over time - girls
348 total births recorded since 1915 (Cornell as girls' name)
Cornell by decade
1950s is the heaviest window (2,011 births, 18% of the file).
1950s was Cornell's strongest decade.
2,011 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 18% of all-time use.
Cornell births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 11
1890s
11 births
- 1900s 37
1900s
37 births
- 1910s 310
1910s
310 births
- 1920s 443
1920s
443 births
- 1930s 522
1930s
522 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,004 births
- 1950s
1950s
2,011 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,773 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,514 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,326 births
- 1990s
1990s
949 births
- 2000s 768
2000s
768 births
- 2010s 529
2010s
529 births
- 2020s 150
2020s
150 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 2,011 births (18% of all-time use).
How Cornell 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 Cornell's total volume
Cornell by state
Where Cornell concentrates geographically, total births since 1890
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Illinois | | 878 | 7.7% |
| #2 | Louisiana | | 740 | 6.5% |
| #3 | California | | 593 | 5.2% |
| #4 | New York | | 547 | 4.8% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 484 | 4.3% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 396 | 3.5% |
| #7 | South Carolina | | 384 | 3.4% |
| #8 | Texas | | 361 | 3.2% |
878 of 11,347 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 28 reporting states.
Cornell appears in 28 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Cornell? ▼
Where does Cornell sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Cornell most popular? ▼
Where is Cornell most popular? ▼
How long has the name Cornell been used? ▼
What names are similar to Cornell? ▼
What to do with Cornell's data
- Cornell's decade-level peak was the 1950s (2,011 total births); usage has since declined to 150 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Illinois records the most Cornells (878 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Illinois names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Cornell
Nearby Names Like Cornell
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cornell
Compare Cornell side by side: Cornell vs Corey Cornell vs Cory Cornell vs Corbin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Cornell
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Cornell: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1962)
Similar record span (~135 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1890–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Cornell 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 August 2026.