Cornelius means horn or strong — from the Latin cornu (horn). In the Bible, Cornelius IS the first Gentile convert to Christianity. Cornelius Vanderbilt IS America's richest man. Planet of the Apes' Cornelius IS sci-fi's most beloved. Four syllables of the first-Gentile-convert, America's richest, and sci-fi's most beloved.
Cornelius IS the first Gentile convert. Vanderbilt IS America's richest. Planet of the Apes IS sci-fi's most beloved.
2
First recorded
Earliest known use: Latin; biblical Acts 10; Vanderbilt (1794–1877).
3
Today
Cornelius remains a beloved choice, ranking #1639 in the US. 36,966 babies have been named Cornelius since 1880.
◈ Sources: Behind the Name, SSA data
◆
How popular is Cornelius?
1974peak year
Cornelius appears in U.S. registration data going all the way back to 1880, when records begin. Its popularity climbed over the following decades. In 1974, 486 babies received the name (ranked #346). Today it sits well outside the top 1,000 (around #1639), with roughly 105 babies named Cornelius each year. Cornelius has been declining in recent years. In total, around 36,966 babies have been registered with this name since 1880.
Year-by-year registrations1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
Cornelius's Life Path 8 is the achiever's number — first-convert achievement. People named Cornelius tend to be regal, powerful, and gifted at being the first convert AND richest AND sci-fi's beloved.
♡
First convert AND richest AND sci-fi beloved
✦
Vanderbilt
◈
Planet-Apes
◎
Gentile
♡
Latin-horn
C3
O6
R9
N5
E5
L3
I9
U3
S1
Sum: 44 → Life path 8
♡
Personality of Cornelius
💼
Built for success
They don't dream of achievement — they plan for it.
👑
Commanding presence
They walk in and people notice.
🔑
Strategic mind
Always three moves ahead.
💎
Unbreakable
Setbacks sharpen them. Resilience is in their DNA.
Every name has a homeland. Discover strong boy names rooted in cultures from around the world — each with full meanings, origin stories and pronunciation.