Cornel is a name of Romanian origin, derived from the Latin word "cornu," which means "horn." The name was traditionally given to boys born with a distinctive tuft of hair on their forehead that resembled a horn.
The name Cornel has a rich history in Romania. It was popular among the nobility during the Middle Ages and was often used as a surname as well as a given name. Some notable figures in Romanian history have borne this name, including Corneliu Zelea Codreanu, the founder of the Iron Guard movement, and Cornel Bunget, a prominent journalist and politician.
Today, Cornel remains a popular choice for parents looking to give their sons a distinctive and meaningful name with deep roots in Romanian culture. Despite its origins, the name is not limited to Romania and can be found among communities with Romanian ancestry throughout Europe and beyond.
In terms of pronunciation, Cornel is typically pronounced as "kor-nell," with the stress on the second syllable. It is often spelled with an acute accent over the first letter (Çornel) in Romanian, but this is not universally used.
Statistics on the name Cornel show a varied pattern of popularity over time in the United States. From 1919 to 1945, there were fewer than ten births each year with this name, with some years having only five births. However, starting from 1946, there was a significant increase in the number of Cornel babies born annually.
The peak year for the popularity of the name Cornel was 1947, with a total of 59 births that year. This high point was followed by a steady decrease in popularity over subsequent years. By 1954, the number of births had decreased to 16, and it continued to fluctuate between single-digit figures for many decades.
From the late 1980s onwards, there has been an intermittent resurgence in the use of the name Cornel. For instance, there were 17 births in 1988, a figure that was not reached again until 2000 when there were 11 births. The years 2004 and 2005 saw another increase with 10 and 7 births respectively.
Interestingly, the name Cornel has shown some renewed popularity in recent times, with 6 births each in 2012 and 2016, followed by a further 5 births in 2021. This suggests that while Cornel is not one of the most popular names currently used, it still holds some appeal for parents in the United States today.
Overall, these statistics demonstrate the cyclical nature of name popularity, with Cornel experiencing periods of relative popularity followed by decades of lower usage. Despite its fluctuations in popularity, however, the name Cornel has remained a choice for parents across multiple generations in the United States.