Baby Name of the Day: Cordelia

The baby name Cordelia combines a literary pedigree with a vintage sound.

Thanks to Rosy for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.

WHAT DOES THE BABY NAME CORDELIA MEAN?

The baby name Cordelia’s meaning is both straightforward and uncertain at the same time. 

There are two competing backstories.

SAINT CORDULA

Legend tells of Saint Ursula, martyred with many companions during the fourth century. 

Her story goes like this: she’s a princess and a Christian convert, determined to never marry. Except her father promises her to a powerful man who does not share her faith. Rather than agree to the match, she insists on first setting out on a pilgrimage. Along the way she attracts thousands of followers – all young women, all unwed. 

It’s a perilous journey, but rather than avoiding danger, the young women head straight for it. The town of Cologne was under siege. Ursula dies; so do her companions. Except for one. Cordula hid, until the very end, when she summoned her courage to also face a martyr’s death. 

Like other cor- names, it’s often connected to the Latin word for heart. Sometimes it’s even described as “heart of a lion.” But that feels like it’s based on the -lia ending sounding like the Latin Leo, which wasn’t the original spelling.

Still, Latin origins seem plausible, except  that the story is almost certainly mostly folklore. 

CELTIC NAME

Another option: Welsh myth and Arthurian legend give us Creiddylad or Creiryddlydd. It means something like “daughter of the sea.”

She’s the most beautiful girl in all the world. Two suitors vie for her affections. One kidnaps her; the other kidnaps her from the first suitor. King Arthur intervenes, and she’s sent home to her father, Llud Silver Hand. Her would-be husbands are forced to battle each other every May Day.

It’s considered something of a Persephone story, with a struggle between the seasons. And, of course, Persephone is called korë – maiden – which is tempting to tie back to the story. But it’s almost certainly a coincidence.

Regardless of the name’s origins, both the saint and the maiden tend to be associated with the baby name Cordelia over the centuries.

LEGENDARY QUEEN

The name filtered into use thanks to Geoffrey of Monmouth, the eleventh century author of not-quite-history.

He wrote about Queen Cordeilla. She ruled valiantly, even while her treacherous nephews conspired against her reign.

The author placed Cordeilla’s rule sometime in the eighth or ninth centuries. Except there’s almost no historical evidence that she ever existed.

Still, it’s almost certainly the reason the name evolved into its current form.

LEAR’S LOYAL DAUGHTER

Edmund Spenser borrowed Geoffrey of Monmouth’s fictional queen and her father, King Leir, in his 1590 Faerie Queene.

But you’re probably thinking of William Shakespeare’s tragic play.

King Lear had three daughters: Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia. The aging king is ready to hand down his scepter. But, without a son, who should succeed him?

The king poses a question to his three daughters: tell me how much you love me, and I’ll divvy up the kingdom accordingly.

Goneril and Regan kowtow, but Cordelia doesn’t play along. Dad sends her off to marry the King of France as punishment, and her big sisters share the throne.

Things go downhill from there, but the important part is this: Cordelia is Lear’s loyal daughter, a worthy namesake.

FAMOUS FIGURES

Anne Shirley, of Anne of Green Gables fame, famously asked to be called Cordelia.

That ought to be enough to cement the baby name Cordelia in the hearts of many!

There’s also a 1904 song titled “Cordelia Malone.” Vaudeville star Billy Murray recorded the hit, at a time when he was one of the best-known singers of his era. He rhymes Malone with telephone – at the time, the height of technological innovation.

Novelist PD James introduced a rookie detective by the name in the 1970s. Cordelia Gray has appeared in various adaptations over the years.

Television also gives us:

• A character on The Young and the Restless.
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Cordelia Chase was a privileged cheerleader who finds out that vampires are real – and eventually fights on the side of right, both with Buffy, and later on spin-off Angel.
• American Horror Story’s third season introduced a powerful witch by the name. The season ran from 2013 to 2014, likely explaining the baby name Cordelia’s brief return to the Top 1000.
• Most recently, offbeat 2025 Netflix comedy The Residence gave us brilliant detective – and devoted amateur ornithologist – Cordelia Cupp. Actress Uzo Aduba plays the part to perfection. It’s a Shondaland production from Shonda Rhimes.

It’s not a person, but there’s a moon of Uranus named Cordelia. All of the planet’s satellites carry literary names, mostly from Shakespeare.

HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME CORDELIA?

The baby name Cordelia sounds like it fits right in with the current US Top 100. Amelia, Valentina, Gabriella, Charlotte, Cordelia.

Except Cordelia departed the Top 1000 after 1950. It dipped back in – briefly – in 2014 and 2015. But since then, the name has been scarce.

In fact, the name peaked way back in the nineteenth century, when it regularly appeared in the Top 300.

As of 2024, the baby name Cordelia was given to 233 girls. That puts it just a bit outside of the current US Top 1000. (It took 257 births to make the official list published by the US Social Security Administration as of 2024.) The name continues to hover just outside of the rankings.

ELEGANT and SPIRITED

If the baby name Cordelia feels a little big, nicknames abound. There’s Cori and Cora and Cordy, but also Delia or Del. Coco works, too, as does Cody.

It’s an elegant name and one with plenty of strength, too. From Shakespeare to Shonda Rhimes, the first name suggests a mix of honesty and integrity. 

There’s a certain courage to Cordelia, a sound that’s both delicate and resolute – and perfect for a child today.

Would you consider the baby name Cordelia for a daughter?

First published on August 13, 2010, this post was revised substantially on July 24, 2020 and June 5, 2025.