Cornel is a name of Romanian origin, derived from the Latin word "cornu," which means "horn." The name was traditionally given to boys born with a distinctive tuft of hair on their forehead that resembled a horn.
The name Cornel has a rich history in Romania. It was popular among the nobility during the Middle Ages and was often used as a surname as well as a given name. Some notable figures in Romanian history have borne this name, including Corneliu Zelea Codreanu, the founder of the Iron Guard movement, and Cornel Bunget, a prominent journalist and politician.
Today, Cornel remains a popular choice for parents looking to give their sons a distinctive and meaningful name with deep roots in Romanian culture. Despite its origins, the name is not limited to Romania and can be found among communities with Romanian ancestry throughout Europe and beyond.
In terms of pronunciation, Cornel is typically pronounced as "kor-nell," with the stress on the second syllable. It is often spelled with an acute accent over the first letter (Çornel) in Romanian, but this is not universally used.
The name Cornel has had a varied popularity over the years with some notable peaks and valleys. From 1946 to 1953, there was a significant increase in births with names like Cornel, reaching a peak of 59 births in 1947. However, this trend did not continue, with the number of births dropping significantly afterwards. The name Cornel has had several periods of relative obscurity, such as between 1963 and 1982 where it never exceeded 19 births in any given year. There was a brief resurgence in popularity in the late 1980s to early 1990s, but this did not last long. Recently, there has been another decline in the popularity of the name Cornel, with only 5 births reported each in 2016 and 2021. In total, over the years recorded, there have been 1168 births with the name Cornel.