Cora - Name Meaning and Origin
- Origin
- Greek, Irish
- Meaning
- Greek: maiden; Irish: from the hollow
- Pronunciation
- KOR-ah
- Gender
- Female
- Variations
- Kora, Kore, Coraline, Coralie
- Notable Namesakes
- Cora Munro (fictional character in The Last of the Mohicans)
- Cora Crawley (fictional character in Downton Abbey)
Etymology & Heritage
The name Cora derives from two distinct linguistic origins. From the Greek Kore, it meant maiden, and was often used as a title for the goddess Persephone. Through this connection, the name indirectly bears the nuance of rebirth and the renewal of spring, an apt image of resilience.
In addition, Cora has Irish roots, meaning from the hollow, which connects the name to concepts of shelter, safety, or hidden power. This dual etymology enriches the name with layers of meaning, spanning across different cultures and historical contexts.
Character & Essence
Cora brings with it an air of delicate femininity, quite fitting for its female usage. It is dainty yet bursting with firm resolve, a blend of soft petals and rigid roots, a whisper of the old and a promise of the new.
The name encapsulates a balance, feminine yet firm, sprung from history yet rooted in the now. It intertwines the delicate with the resilient, brushing the canvas of life with strokes both subtle and robust, echoes of the ancient and whispers of the modern, garlands of maidenhood and caresses of shelter.
Cultural & Contemporary Significance
Literature has been a friend to this name, as the tenderhearted and resolute heroine Cora Munro in James Fenimore Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans serves to illustrate. From mythology, the name was bestowed upon the goddess Kore (Persephone), the Greek goddess associated with innocence and purity.
The visual world has not been left behind either. Apart from gracing the names of numerous distinguished actresses, performers, and artists, the name Cora has appeared in recent years as key characters in television series such as Downton Abbey and Once Upon a Time, reverberating in living rooms across continents and tying the modern to the ancient in one lyrical bundle.
Whether looking for a name that echoes with timeless grace, stands strong with feminine resolve, or both, Cora makes an excellent choice. In the hands of the appointed, it's not just a name, but a dynamic piece of identity, a whisper from our global shared past, and a defiant promise for the shape of things to come.