Corky
Masculine · “An American nickname”
Corky is given to both — 610 boys and 51 girls since 1880. See other names given to both
Corky is an American nickname made into a given name, from the word corky, 'buoyant, lively', and it was given to boys through the middle of the twentieth century. It belongs to a television character who changed what audiences expected to see, and to a tree that gives up its bark and keeps growing.
How old is the name Corky?
Corky first appears in US birth records in 1928 — 97 years ago. The typical Corky alive today was born around 1958, making them about 67 years old. About 400 people named Corky are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Corky most popular?
Corky peaked in 1958, reaching #1396 nationally. See the whole 1958 chart.
Where it comes from
From cork to Corky
The story of Corky
Cork comes from the cork oak of Portugal and Spain, whose thick bark is stripped by hand about every nine years without felling the tree, which lives on for two centuries. The word gave English corky, 'buoyant, lively', and Corky became a friendly American nickname and then a first name. In 1989 the ABC drama Life Goes On made Corky Thacher, played by Chris Burke, the first lead character on network television with Down syndrome, played by an actor with Down syndrome. The spelling is recorded almost entirely for boys.
Meaning
An American nickname, from corky, 'buoyant, lively'
Corky comes from cork, the light bark that floats, and was used as a nickname for a lively person before it became a name.
How the name formed
- cork
- corky
- Corky
Pronouncing Corky
KOR-kee
Two syllables with the stress on the first.
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1928
- Most boys named
- 195831 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1396reached in 1958
- Change vs 1990
- −28.6%5 in 1991, from 7
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Corkys among us
people named Corky are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Corky sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- Friendly and lively.
- Easy to spell.
- Rare, so a Corky is unlikely to meet another.
- It sounds like a nickname, and people will ask for the full name.
- It may feel too young for an adult.
- For a girl it would be very unusual.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Corky to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Corky? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Corky
Masculine
Frequently asked
- How many Corkys are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 400 people named Corky are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Corky in 2025?
- Corky is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 boy names.
- Will my child share the name Corky with classmates?
- Corky will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More C names
The most-given names starting with C, all years combined.
Charles#48 · Christopher#68 · Carl#1132 · Christian#96 · Caleb#58 · Cameron#76 · Carlos#150 · Clarence#1499
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Corky? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Corky and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle