Corey

Boy · English or Irish surname (uncertain)

Corey

Say it: KOR-ee

Meaning

From an English surname that may come from the Old Norse personal name Kóri, or partly from Irish surnames such as Ó Comhraidhe; the origin is not settled.

Uncertainseveral explanations, none settled.

Popular in the US from the 1970s to the 1990s.

Its wave through time

A fashion of the 1980s

In the United States

191,865 babies given this name since 1919
At its height in 1989, about 1 in 250 boys
567 babies in 2020

Through the ages

The Modern Age1880 to today

Used by

American English Canadian

The family of the name

Other spellings: Cory, Korey, Kory

Famous bearers

Corey Feldman, American actor

Names worth a look

BlakeGirl or boyFrom an English surname from Old English blæc 'black, dark' or blāc 'pale, shining'; the two words cannot be told…Modern · peak 2012

ShaneBoyAn Anglicized spelling of Irish Seaghán (Seán), the Irish form of John, from Hebrew Yochanan 'God is gracious'.Renaissance · peak 1973

JayBoyUncertain. Partly from the letter J as a short form of names like James or John, partly from the bird (Old French gai).Victorian · peak 1960

RonnieBoyA pet form of Ronald, from Old Norse Rögnvaldr, from regin 'counsel, the gods' + valdr 'ruler'.Modern · peak 1946

CliffordBoyFrom an English surname and place name, Old English clif 'cliff, slope' and ford 'ford'.Victorian · peak 1918

CaseyGirl or boyFrom the Irish surname Ó Cathasaigh, from the personal name Cathasach 'watchful, vigilant'.Modern · peak 1987

KarenGirlA Danish short form of Katherine, from Greek Aikaterinē, whose origin is unknown.Modern · peak 1956

GaryBoyOf uncertain origin; possibly from a surname with the Germanic element gar 'spear'. Its use as a first name grew…Modern · peak 1951

Where this comes from

United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source

Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.

Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.