The baby name Coralie blends stylish sounds with an appealing vintage vibe.
Thanks to Nessa for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.
WHAT DOES THE NAME CORALIE MEAN?
Coralie comes from the Latin coralium, ultimately from the Greek korallion.
In other words, coral. The tiny organisms band together to form reefs. Originally, coralium mainly referred to the reddish variety of coral; that’s why you’ll probably find a sort of pinky-orange hue classed as coral when shopping for sweaters or paint colors.
Just like Crystal or Amber, Coral is sometimes heard as a given name. But to get to the baby name Coralie, we’ll need to detour just slightly from the natural world.
CORALIA
The Greek name Koralia comes from the exact same sources as coral.
A 4th century martyr saint from Thrace was called Coralia. The 40 virgin martyrs of Thrace are still named and venerated in the Orthodox Church. But they’re relatively obscure in the US. Some classic names, like Maria and Anna, endure. Others, like Irene and Tatiana, remain familiar. But most of them are lost to time. Chances are that you’ve never met a Theodoule or Lamprotati.
Koralia might be the origin of the baby name Coralie. Or maybe it’s just an elaboration of Coral.
UNDER THE SEA
In any case, the strongest association for Coralia remains all things aquatic.
If you know the comic strip Flash Gordon, Coralia is an underwater place name where the inhabitants breathe water.
In 1811, Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué wrote a novella titled Undine, a fairy tale about a mermaid. It was a smash hit. The March sisters read it in Little Women. During the 19th century, it was every bit as much a part of childhood as The Little Mermaid is now.
The tale inspired music, opera, film, movies, and all sorts of art from the early 19th century to the present day.
Sometimes her name is Undine. Others called her Ondine, Undina, or Rusalka. And one time, for an 1847 ballet, she became Coralia.
MERMAID NAME
In 2014, best-selling author Alice Hoffman published The Museum of Extraordinary Things.
Set in 1911, it’s the story of Coralie Sardie, who appears as the Mermaid in her father’s Coney Island sideshow. She’s an excellent swimmer, but a reluctant performer. When she falls in love with an aspiring photographer running from his family’s expectations, everything changes.
Hoffman is the kind of author readers know by name. Chances are that at least some fans of historical fiction read the story and discovered the baby name Coralie.
A FRENCH FAVORITE
In France, the baby name Coralie ranked in the Top 100 from the late 1970s into the early 2000s.
The name fared well in Belgium and Quebec, too.
It fits with an American idea of what French names for girls sound like: Elodie, Amelie, Rosalie.
Another factor: Cora has been a big hit in recent years. While it has a separate origin and meaning, just like Ella, Amelia, and Rose all make those French names seem more accessible, Cora helps make Coralie sound a little more familiar.
Also noteworthy: fellow Cora name Coraline has been popular in recent years.
FAMOUS FIGURES
A handful of women have helped raised the name’s profile, including:
- French singer Coralie Clement. She contributed to the soundtrack for 2003 movie Something’s Gotta Give.
- Coralie Balmy swam for France at the Beijing Olympics.
- Coralie Simmons won a silver medal for the US in water polo at the 2000 Summer Olympics and is now a college-level coach.
- There’s also English actress Coralie Rose, now a casting director.
HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME CORALIE?
In sharp contrast to France, the baby name Coralie is almost unknown in the US. It darted into the Top 1000 just twice: in 1880 and 1929.
It spiked in use following Alice Hoffman’s novel, peaking with 168 births in 2016.
As of the year 2024, just 46 girls received the name.
Coralia is even rarer, given just five girls in 2024.
ECOVINTAGE IMPORT POSSIBILITY
While the baby name Coralie remains relatively unknown, it has potential.
We love a great ecovintage name. Just ask the parents of Violet or Pearl. The name’s ties to the ocean are a plus.
And French names have always had their place on the US popularity charts, with classics like Genevieve routinely ranking in the US Top 200.
If you love Cora and Rosalie, but crave something with an element of surprise? Coralie could be just right for you.
What do you think of the baby name Coralie?
First published January 26, 2009, this post was revised on September 30, 2025.
Have always enjoyed having a less common name. Even though many spell my name incorrectly or do not hear correctly and pronounce my name as Kylie, Kirrilee or lee.
I absolutely love the beach and therefore my name suits me well, actually some friends and relatives have called me ‘coral by the sea’.
Have alway felt special with this name.. when younger I thought I might secretely be a mermaid with such a special name.
🙂
I really like Coralie. To me she has an almost delicate kindness and demureness about her, whilst atill holding a quiet kind of subtle strength.
I like similar names with the -ee sound ending like Bryony, Rosalie, Cleophee and Ophelie.
I love Coralie a lot! She’s very cute. I also love Rosalie, Elodie, and Amelie. Cordelia is similar sounding and one of my favorite names ever!
Ooh – I do like Coralie. I probably wouldn’t use her myself, but she is just undeniably pretty, as Lola expressed! There’s actually a little girl in my DD kindergarten goup this year named Coralie – and she’s exactly what I’d expect of the name; very little, with sandy curls and sparkly blue eyes – she’s a very cute kid, but she just looks so breakable, like a doll!
I think that’s why I wouldn’t use her – she just seems a touch too fragile for me 🙂
I like Coralie! She’s pretty and frilly, but not too frilly — like a light summer frock with just a bit of lace trim.
I’d love to see her (and Rosalie and Elodie) catch on as Emily-alternatives.
I want very much to like Coralie, I really do, but I find myself holding back for a few reasons:
1. Like Tavish, I find it descriptive sounding: “Wow, that bay sure is coral-y”… Does that make sense?
2. I like Cora alone much better. I’m usually drawn to the simpler names. Coralie seems almost too frilly when I think of tried and true Cora.
3. I’m afraid of what the masses could do to Coralie, as already seen in previous comments. Names so easily mangled to be “prittee” scare me a bit…
All in all, not a bad name, just not my cup of tea I guess.
Shhh Cat! Don’t feed them ideas! 😀
I like Coralie but prefer simple Cora. Coralie is pretty and feels as delicate as a china doll. Which is all well and good but not for my kids. If Josie’s any indicator, she’ll be athletic, horsey and bouncy. She did a backflip to get out of bed this morning. Whew, is this what my mother had to live with? 😉
Coralie is pretty, undeniably. I had no idea she had as solid a background as she does though. Brings her up a few notches in my estimation. Very nice and girly. I do fear the trendies will get ahold of Coralie and mangle her. I’ve already seen Coralee and Koralee. So… take that as you will.
I do like her, she’s warm & happy feeling and that makes her a winner for me. Very lovely, Coralie!
Coralie is very nice, not for me, but gorgeous on someone else’s kid. I think it has the potential to sound nicknamey with the wrong middle, though. All in all, though, I really like it, and wouldn’t mind seeing little ones christened Coralie! (How long will it get them to think up Koraleigh? *vomit*)
Sometime during the past year I became infatuated with Coralie. Why I do not know. Where or when did I see her or hear her- I do not know either. My husband tells me of the great breakfasts he would enjoy whenever he visited his great-aunt Cora so I suspect his positive feelings toward one name colored my feelings toward the other.
She’s definitely feminine and I love the sounds she shares with Rosalie, which is my favorite Rose-inspired name.
Great post.
I like Coralie- except that it may get confused with Coraline, which in turn may get confused with Caroline. But I digress.
It sounds very mermaid-esque- the coral beginning and the “ie” ending come together to make this image, I think.
That’s so cool that it is so popular! I rarely hear it.
Overall: I like Coralie; she’s an unexpected nature-y choice.