Cora ranks at #589 with 208 entries, registered female. The name is Greek-derived, traditionally linked to Kore (the maiden form of Persephone), and it has been quietly riding the vintage-revival wave that brought back Nora, Maeve, and Hazel on both human and pet charts since the early 2010s.
The vintage-revival cohort
Cora sits with Nora, Nola, Hazel, and Mabel in the same naming pocket — short, vintage-American girls' names that fell out of fashion around 1950 and returned in the 2010s. The aesthetic is unfussy and slightly Victorian; owners reaching for Cora often have a small calm dog or a cat that reads as a tiny Edwardian aunt.
Breed lean and sound
Two syllables, front-stressed (KOR-ah), with a hard percussive opening and a soft landing. The name recalls cleanly across moderate distances. It lands disproportionately on small-to-medium companion breeds — Cavaliers, Poodles, Bichons, and small rescue mixes — and on indoor cats with calm energy.
The Downton Abbey overlay
Lady Cora Crawley from Downton Abbey (the show ran 2010-2015) is a real cultural anchor for the name's pet-side comeback, particularly among owners under 40. The Cora-meets-vintage register fits both the show and the broader naming aesthetic. The Cora baby name page shows the name climbing on the SSA chart through the 2010s, with pet and human Cora sharing the same vintage moment.