Corey
Meaning
transferred English surname from the Old Norse given name Kóri, whose meaning is unknown
The story
Corey comes from an English surname, and that surname descends from the Old Norse given name Kóri. The meaning of Kóri is unknown. The familiar Irish hollow or ravine explanation belongs elsewhere and should not be attached to Corey simply because it sounds plausible. The name moved from surname to given name and became widely visible in the United States through Corey Baker, the son on the television series Julia, which began in 1968. The local curve starts moving in the 1970s, rises in the 1980s, reaches its strongest point in the 1990s, and then declines through the 2000s and later decades. Cory, Korey, and Kory share the sound, while Cori often marks feminine use. Corey's honest story is stronger than a false translation: Norse ancestry, surname history, and a clear late-twentieth-century American chapter.
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Corey peaked in the 1990s.
When you meet Corey
Most people given the name Corey in the United States were born between 1970 and 1999. The Corey you meet today is most often in his 30s or 40s.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Corey deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Corey truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Corey fits with your family’s names and surname.
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