Fun Facts About the Name Coraline
- More than 6 thousand babies named Coraline: U.S. records list 6,784 babies given the name Coraline from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Coraline Mean?
Coraline is a feminine name formed from Cora with a diminutive ending. Cora goes back to the Greek word kore (κόρη), meaning maiden or girl, a term also used for the goddess Persephone. The ending -line, as in Caroline and Rosaline, comes from the Latin diminutive suffix -ina, so the name carries the sense of little Cora, an affectionate form of maiden.
Because Coraline resembles coral, the sea material whose name passes through Latin corallium from Greek korallion, the name is sometimes linked to coral as well. That connection rests on the similarity of the two words rather than on a documented development from one to the other, so the derivation from Cora is the more reliable one.
Coraline Name History & Origins
Coraline is a diminutive of Cora, formed by extending the shorter name with the ending -line, the same pattern that yields Caroline from Carol and Adeline from Adela. The name is found in French, where the -ine ending is a common feminine diminutive. Cora itself came into English use in the 1700s and grew more common in the 1800s, helped by classical Greek associations and by the heroine of James Fenimore Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans (1826). Coraline belongs to the same 19th-century taste for long, -ine feminine names as Coralie, Rosaline, and Caroline.
A much later and now very familiar use of the name is Neil Gaiman's children's novel Coraline (2002) and its 2009 animated film adaptation, whose young heroine carries the name. This is a famous literary use of Coraline rather than its origin, which lies in the older diminutive of Cora.
How Popular is the Name Coraline?
Coraline recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2015. Its best rank was #579 in 2015.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #683 | 414 | 0.0258% |
| 2024 | #720 | 390 | 0.0242% |
| 2023 | #719 | 391 | 0.0244% |
| 2022 | #678 | 430 | 0.0262% |
| 2021 | #722 | 396 | 0.0242% |
| 2020 | #646 | 448 | 0.0277% |
| 2019 | #624 | 481 | 0.0287% |
| 2018 | #595 | 512 | 0.0301% |
| 2017 | #586 | 512 | 0.0297% |
| 2016 | #600 | 502 | 0.0283% |
| 2015 | #579 | 527 | 0.0295% |
| 2014 | #631 | 453 | 0.0254% |
| 2013 | #713 | 389 | 0.0222% |
| 2012 | #826 | 326 | 0.0185% |
| 2011 | #1,092 | 225 | 0.0128% |
| 2010 | #1,044 | 239 | 0.0134% |
| 2009 | #1,796 | 120 | 0.0065% |
| 2008 | #10,238 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2007 | #18,246 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2006 | #13,913 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1970 | #7,222 | 6 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Coraline Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are cheerful and friendly, but are apt to have an emotional life. You like to have several lines of effort going at once. You are a good talker and promoter and seldom worry over anything. At times, you can be impatient, and impulsive. You have the ability to bring an idea to completion. You can express yourself joyously and constructively. You might be psychic, but not know it. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Coraline's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Coraline's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.