Cora is a given name, most commonly derived from the Ancient Greek Κόρη (Kórē), an epithet of the Greek goddess

Persephone In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Persephone ( ; gr, Περσεφόνη, Persephónē), also called Kore or Cora ( ; gr, Κόρη, Kórē, the maiden), is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. She became the queen of the underworld after ...

. Alternatively, but rarely, it may be rooted in the Gaelic ''cora'', the comparative of ''cóir'', meaning just, honest, virtuous or good. Variant forms of this name include Kora and

Korra Avatar Korra is the title lead character in Nickelodeon's animated television series ''The Legend of Korra'' (a sequel to '' Avatar: The Last Airbender''), in which she is depicted as the current incarnation of Raava's Avatar—the spiritual em ...

History

The current name Cora may be derived from a variety of origins. Its most prominent antecedents, however, lie in ancient Greece.

Ancient Greece

The Greek word κόρη (korē) can mean girl, maiden or daughter. In the latter sense it came to be an alternate name given to

to denote her being the daughter of Demeter, who accordingly carries the epithet Μήτηρ (Mētēr), mother. Κόρη was used when addressing Persephone not as queen of the underworld, but as vegetation goddess. Dionysos and Cora-Hermitage

Today's pronunciation of Cora is foreshadowed in some Greek dialects. In both Doric and Aeolic κόρη becomes κόρα (kora), in Doric it also appears as κώρα (kōra), thus phonetically resembling the current English name rather closely. The spelling κόρα is used especially in poetic writings, as in the following instance by

Aeschylus Aeschylus (, ; grc-gre, Αἰσχύλος ; c. 525/524 – c. 456/455 BC) was an ancient Greek tragedian, and is often described as the father of tragedy. Academic knowledge of the genre begins with his work, and understanding of earlier Greek ...

: As pointed out by H. Weir Smith, Δίκα ("Justice") can be read as a contraction of Δι(ὸς) κ(όρ)α, "daughter of Zeus". Metaphorically, κόρη and its variants can also refer to a puppet; the pupil of the eye, because a small image is mirrored within, and hence figuratively also the apple of one's eye.

Ancient Rome

In its current spelling, Cora appears as a Latinisation of Persephone's epithet in Roman inscriptions. Fabia Aconia Paulina for example, who lived in the 4th century, was consecrated to Cora twice. Of different, namely Celtic, descent is Cora as toponym for a town and river (today ''la Cure'') in the Roman province of Gaul.

Modernity

In ''The Court of the Gentiles'' (1669), his extensive attempt to trace all ancient ideas and beliefs back to Hebrew scriptures,

Theophilus Gale Theophilus Gale (1628–1678) was an English educationalist, nonconformist and theologian of dissent. Early life Gale was born at Kingsteignton, Devon, the son of Bridget Gale (née Walrond) and Theophilus Gale D. D. (died 1639), vicar of Kingste ...

claims that Cora originated from the Hebrew הורה (hora). The name Cora gained prominence among a wider audience through Jean-François Marmontel's novel ''Les Incas'' of 1777, where it is given to an Inca girl consecrated as a virgin to the sun. It is thus used much in accordance with the original Greek word. In view of his subject matter – the destruction of the

Inca empire The Inca Empire (also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called ''Tawantinsuyu'' by its subjects, ( Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts", "four parts together" ) was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The adm ...

("l'empire du Pérou") following that of the Aztec empire – Marmontel may have found another motive in the ethnic group of the same name, who resisted Spanish conquest until 1722,Jáuregui, Jesús (2004). ''Coras''. Mexico: Comisión Nacional para el Desarrollo de los Pueblos Indígenas (CDI), Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo. p
11
/ref> some 200 years longer than their neighbours (together referred to by him as "l'empire du Mexique"). Scene-from-the-last-of-the-mohicans-cora-kneeling-at-the-feet-of-tanemund-1827

Scene-from-the-last-of-the-mohicans-cora-kneeling-at-the-feet-of-tanemund-1827

Brought to fame by Marmontel, Cora inspired a series of other works, among them an

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

by the French composer

Étienne Méhul Étienne Nicolas Méhul (; 16 November 1765 ~ 24 December 1817) was a French composer of the classical period. He was known as "the most important opera composer in France during the Revolution". He was also the first composer to be called a ...

and a play by the German dramatist

August von Kotzebue August Friedrich Ferdinand von Kotzebue (; – ) was a German dramatist and writer who also worked as a consul in Russia and Germany. In 1817, one of Kotzebue's books was burned during the Wartburg festival. He was murdered in 1819 by Karl L ...

, ''Die Sonnenjungfrau'' (The Virgin of the Sun), both of 1791. Likely to have followed in this tradition, James Fenimore Cooper gave the name Cora to his heroine in ''

The Last of the Mohicans ''The Last of the Mohicans: A Narrative of 1757'' is a historical romance written by James Fenimore Cooper in 1826. It is the second book of the ''Leatherstocking Tales'' pentalogy and the best known to contemporary audiences. '' The Pathfinder ...

'' of 1826.

People

* Cora Alicto (Low) (born 1980), track and field sprint athlete who competes for Guam * Cora Almerino, Cebuano Visayan writer * Cora Amalia Castilla (born 1961), Mexican politician and activist * Cora Ann Pair Thomas (1875–1952), American Baptist missionary * Cora Baggerly Older (1875– 1968), American writer and historian * Cora Baldock (born 1935), Australian-Dutch Sociologist * Cora Berliner (1890–1942), German economist and social scientist * Cora Belle Brewster (1859–?), American physician, surgeon, medical writer, editor * Cora Brown (1914–1972), first African-American woman elected to a U.S. state senate * Cora Bussey Hillis (1858–1924), American child welfare advocate * Cora Camoin (1930–2018), French actress *

Cora Campbell Cora Campbell (born May 28, 1974 in Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian water polo player. She is a graduate of the University of Calgary. She was part of the 5th place women's water polo team at the 2000 Summer Olympics and was part of the ...

(born 1974), Canadian water polo player * Cora Cané (1923–2016), Argentine journalist * Cora Cardigan (1860–1931), stage name of Hannah Rosetta Dinah Parks, English flautist * Cora Catherine Calhoun Horne (1865–1932), Black suffragist, civil rights activist, and Atlanta socialite * Cora Cohen (born 1943), American artist *

Cora Combs Beulah "Cora Combs" Szostecki (March 17, 1927 – June 21, 2015),

(1923–2015), American professional wrestler *

Cora Coralina Cora Coralina () is the pseudonym of the Brazilian writer and poet Anna Lins dos Guimarães Peixoto Bretas () (August 20, 1889 – April 10, 1985). She is considered one of the most important Brazilian writers, Her first book (''Poemas dos Becos ...

(1889–1985), Brazilian poet * Cora Crane (1868–1910), American businesswoman, nightclub and bordello owner, writer, and journalist * Cora Daniels, African-American author *

Cora Diamond Cora Diamond (born 1937) is an American philosopher who works on Ludwig Wittgenstein, Gottlob Frege, moral philosophy, animal ethics, political philosophy, philosophy of language, and philosophy and literature. Diamond is the Kenan Professor o ...

(born 1937), American philosopher * Cora Dow (1868–1915), American pharmacist * Cora Alice Du Bois (1903–1991), American cultural anthropologist * Cora Durand (1902–1998), Picuris Pueblo potter * Cora E. (born 1968), German hip-hop artist * Cora E. Simpson (1880–1960), American nurse and nursing educator *

Cora Elm Cora Elm (February 18, 1891 – June 9, 1949) was an American nurse. She was a member of the Oneida Nation, and attended the Carlisle Indian Industrial School from 1906 to 1913. She served as a Red Cross nurse in France during World War I. Ea ...

(1891–1949), American nurse in World War I * Cora Emmanuel (born 1992), French fashion model *

Cora Etter Cora Helena Etter (née Brown; October 10, 1924 – August 19, 2020) was a Canadian politician in Nova Scotia. She served in the 54th General Assembly of Nova Scotia as a Progressive Conservative member for Hants East. In the 1988 election, ...

(1924–2020), Canadian politician * Cora Evans (1904–1957), American Mormon leader *

Cora Farrell Cora Farrell (born May 23, 1999) is an American curler from Fairbanks, Alaska. She was a silver medalist at the 2016 Winter Youth Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. Career Farrell has competed in eight consecutive Junior National Championships. ...

(born 1999), American curler *

Cora Folsom Salisbury Cora May Folsom Salisbury Aulmann (February 12, 1868 — April 16, 1916), sometimes billed as C. Folsom Salisbury, was an American musician and composer of piano music, including works in the ragtime genre. She was also the first vaudeville partne ...

(1868–1916), American musician and composer * Cora G. Burwell (1883–1982), American astronomical researcher * Cora Goffin (1902–2004), British actress * Cora Gooseberry (–1852), Aboriginal Australian Murro-ore-dial woman and cultural knowledge keeper * Cora Gordon (1879–1950), English artist, writer, and musician * Cora Green (1895-after 1949), American actress, singer, and dancer * Cora Harrington, American writer and lingerie expert * Cora Hartshorn (1873–1958), American pioneer in the field of birth control * Cora Helena Sarle (1867–1956), American Shaker artist * Cora Hubbard (1877–?), American outlaw * Cora Huber (born 1981), Swiss bobsledder * Cora Huidekoper Clarke (1851–1916), American amateur entomologist, science educator, and botanist * Cora Jipson Beckwith (1875–1955), American zoologist * Cora Johnstone Best (1878–1930), American mountaineer * Cora Kelley Ward (1920–1989), American painter and photographer * Cora Laparcerie (1875–1951), French comedian, poet, and director * Cora LaRedd, American singer and dancer in the 1920s and 1930s * Cora LeEthel Christian, the first native woman of the U.S. Virgin Islands to earn a medical degree * Cora Lenore Williams (1865–1937), American writer and educator * Cora Linn Daniels (1852–1934), American author *

Cora Livingston Cora B. Bowser (1887/1889 – April 22, 1957), better known by the ring name Cora Livingston (also spelled as Livingstone) was an American professional wrestler. She is the first women's world champion in professional wrestling history. Early ...

(1887/1889 -1957), American professional wrestler * Cora Louisa Burrell (1889–1962), New Zealand National Party activist * Cora Mae Bryant (1926–2008), American blues musician *

Cora Martin-Moore Cora Juanita Brewer Martin-Moore (1927–2005) was a gospel singer. She was a soloist in the Sallie Martin Singers and the director of the Echoes of Eden Choir. She also had her own music publishing company. Biography Martin-Moore was born in ...

(1927–2005), American gospel singer *

Cora Miao Cora Miao () is a Chinese actress who worked predominantly in Hong Kong cinema, Hong Kong films. During her career she was nominated for four Hong Kong Film Awards and four Golden Horse Film Festival, Golden Horse Film Festival awards, winning one ...

(born 1958), Chinese actress *

Cora Mildred Maris Clark Cora Mildred Maris Clark (3 March 1885 – 30 June 1967) was a New Zealand hockey player and administrator, nurse. She was born in Auckland, New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocea ...

(1885–1967), New Zealand hockey player, administrator, and nurse * Cora Millet-Robinet (1798–1890), French agricultural innovator and silk producer * Cora Nyegaard (1812–1891), Danish composer * Cora Olivero (born 1978), Spanish athlete * Cora Pearl (1835–1886), French courtesan * Cora Scott Pond Pope (1856–?), American teacher, scriptwriter, real estate developer * Cora Randolph Trimble (1871–1946), American socialite *

Cora Ratto de Sadosky Corina (Cora) Eloísa Ratto de Sadosky (aka Cora Ratto, 1912–1981) was an Argentine mathematician, educator and militant activist in support of human and women's rights in Argentina and beyond. She played an important part in the Argentine Uni ...

(1912–1981), Argentine mathematician, educator, and militant activist * Cora Reynolds Anderson (1882–1950), American politician * Cora Rigby (1865–1930), American journalist * Cora Rónai (born 1953), Brazilian writer, journalist, and photographer * Cora Sadosky de Goldstein (1940–2010), Argentine mathematician *

Cora Sandel Sara Cecilia Görvell Fabricius (20 December 1880 – 3 April 1974), better known by her pen name Cora Sandel, was a Norwegian writer and painter who lived most of her adult life abroad. Her best-known works are the novels now known as the ''Alb ...

(1880–1974), Norwegian painter and writer * Cora Schumacher (born 1976), German actress, model, racing driver, and presenter * Cora L. V. Scott (1840–1923), American medium * Cora Semmes Ives (1834–1916), American writer * Cora Seton (born 1969), American author * Cora Sherlock (born 1976), Irish writer, blogger, and campaigner * Cora Skinner (born 1985), American glamour model and actress * Cora Smalley Brooks (1885–1930), American painter * Cora Smith Eaton (1867–1939), American suffragist, physician, and mountaineer *

Cora Staunton Cora Staunton (born 13 December 1981) is an Irish sportswoman. She is best known as a ladies' Gaelic footballer, winning four All-Irelands and three Ladies' National Football League titles with Mayo. She has also been an All Star on eleven o ...

(born 1981), Irish footballer *

Cora Stephan Cora Stephan (born 7 April 1951 in Strang Bad Rothenfelde, West Germany) is a German-speaking writer and essayist. As an author of crime fiction she is known under the pseudonym Anne Chaplet. Stephan grew up in Osnabrück (Germany). Having stud ...

(born 1951), German writer *

Cora Sternberg Cora Sternberg (born 1951) is an American medical oncologist aWeill Cornell Medicineand NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, serving as a member of thGenitourinary (GU) Oncology Program

(born 1951), American medical oncologist * Cora Sue Collins (born 1927), American former child actress * Cora Sutton Castle (1880–1966), American educator, Sociologist, author, and clubwoman *

Cora Taylor Cora Taylor (born January 14, 1936) is a Canadian writer. Born in Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan, she moved to Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan Ri ...

(born 1936), Canadian writer *

Cora Taylor Casselman Cora Taylor Casselman (October 18, 1888 – September 6, 1964) was a Canadian federal politician. She was elected to represent the electoral district of Edmonton East in the House of Commons of Canada from 1941 to 1945. A member of the Liberal ...

(1888–1964), Canadian federal politician *

Cora Urquhart Brown-Potter Mary Cora Urquhart or Cora Brown–Potter (May 15, 1857 – February 12, 1936) was an American actress who found success in London. Formerly a member of '' The Four Hundred'' in New York'','' she was one of the first American society women to bec ...

(1857–1936), American stage actress * Cora van Nieuwenhuizen (born 1963), Dutch politician * Cora Vander Broek (born 1977), American actress *

Cora Venus Lunny Cora Venus Lunny (born 1982) is an Irish violinist, composer, singer, and actress. She is the daughter of Irish musician Dónal Lunny and German photographer Julia Buthe. Established as a classical musician since her teens, Lunny is active as a ...

(born 1982), Irish violinist *

Cora Waddell Coraleen Sarah Waddell (born December 15, 1989), popularly known as Cora Waddell (), is an American-born Filipino actress, fashion model, and video blogger. Early life Coraleen Sarah Waddell was born in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, to Sc ...

(born 1989), Filipino actress, fashion model, and video blogger *

Cora Faith Walker Cora Faith Walker (née Drew; November 5, 1984 – March 11, 2022) was an American politician who served as a member of the Missouri House of Representatives for the 74th district from January 2017 to July 2019. On July 29, 2019, Walker resigned ...

(1960s–2022), American lawyer and politician *

Cora Walker Cora Thomasina Walker (June 20, 1922 – July 13, 2006) was an influential Harlem lawyer and one of the first black women to practice law in the state of New York (state), New York. Walker was born on June 20, 1922, in Charlotte, North Carolina to ...

(1922–2006), American lawyer * Cora Walton (1928–2009), birth name of American Blues singer Koko Taylor *

Cora Westland Cora Westland (born 28 October 1962) is a Dutch former cyclist. She competed in the women's individual road race at the 1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly ...

(born 1962), Dutch cyclist * Cora Stuart Wheeler (1852–1897), American poet, author * Cora Wilding (1888–1982), New Zealand physiotherapist and artist *

Cora Wilson Stewart Cora Wilson Stewart (January 17, 1875 – December 2, 1958) was an American progressive era social reformer and educator who is well known for her work to eliminate adult illiteracy Literacy in its broadest sense describes "particular ways ...

(1875–1958), American social reformer and educator *

Cora Witherspoon Cora Witherspoon (January 5, 1890 – November 17, 1957) was an American stage and film character actress whose career spanned nearly half a century. She began in theatre where she remained rooted even after entering motion pictures in the ...

(1890–1957), American actress *

Kora Karvouni Kora Karvouni ( el, Κόρα Καρβούνη) (born 22 April 1980 in Athens, Greece) is a Greek stage and television actress. She graduated from thGreek National Theatre Drama Schoolwith a distinction in 2002. She has performed in various the ...

(born 1980), Greek actress *

Alex Cora Jose Alexander Cora (born October 18, 1975) is a Puerto Rican baseball manager and former infielder who is the manager of the Boston Red Sox in Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for 14 seasons with the Red Sox, Los Angele ...

(born 1975), Puerto Rican professional baseball player and team manager * Belle Cora (1827?–1862), American Madam of the Barbary Coast * Cat Cora (born 1967), American chef on Food Network's '' Iron Chef America'' * Joey Cora (born 1965), Puerto Rican former professional baseball player * Sexy Cora or Carolin Ebert (1987–2011), German actress, model, and singer * Tayfun Cora (born 1983), Turkish footballer *

Tom Cora Thomas Henry Corra (September 14, 1953 – April 9, 1998), better known as Tom Cora, was an American cellist and composer, best known for his improvisational performances in the field of experimental jazz and rock. He recorded with John Zorn, ...

(1953–1998), American cellist

Fictional characters

* Cora, the main character of the 1915 film of the same name directed by

Edwin Carewe Edwin Carewe (March 3, 1883 – January 22, 1940) was an American motion picture director, actor, producer, and screenwriter. His birth name was Jay John Fox; he was born in Gainesville, Texas. Career After brief studies at the Universities of ...

* Cora Crawley, from the series ''

Downton Abbey ''Downton Abbey'' is a British historical drama television series set in the early 20th century, created and co-written by Julian Fellowes. The series first aired in the United Kingdom on ITV on 26 September 2010 and in the United States o ...

'' *

Cora Cross Cora Cross is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Ann Mitchell. Cora is the mother of Tanya Branning (Jo Joyner), Rainie Cross (Tanya Franks) and Ava Hartman ( Claire Perkins) and the grandmother of Lauren ...

, from the United Kingdom soap '' EastEnders'' * Cora Dithers, from the comic strip Blondie * Cora Peterson, from the 1966 science fiction film ''

Fantastic Voyage ''Fantastic Voyage'' is a 1966 American science fiction adventure film directed by Richard Fleischer and written by Harry Kleiner, based on a story by Otto Klement and Jerome Bixby. The film is about a submarine crew who are shrunk to micros ...

'' * Cora Mills (also known as the Queen of Hearts), from the fantasy-drama series ''

Once Upon a Time "Once upon a time" is a stock phrase used to introduce a narrative of past events, typically in fairy tales and folk tales. It has been used in some form since at least 1380 (according to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'') in storytelling in t ...

'' * Cora Ann Milton, from ''The Ringer'', a play by

Edgar Wallace Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace (1 April 1875 – 10 February 1932) was a British writer. Born into poverty as an illegitimate London child, Wallace left school at the age of 12. He joined the army at age 21 and was a war correspondent during th ...

* Cora Munro, heroine of ''

'', by James Fenimore Cooper * Cora Tannetti, from the Netflix original series '' The Sinner'' * Cora Hale, from the MTV series ''

Teen Wolf ''Teen Wolf'' is a 1985 American coming-of-age romantic fantasy comedy film directed by Rod Daniel and written by Jeph Loeb and Matthew Weisman. Michael J. Fox stars as the title character, a high school student whose ordinary life is chang ...

'' * Cora Cartmell, from ''Titanic'' * Cora, protagonist of The Underground Railroad, by

Colson Whitehead Arch Colson Chipp Whitehead (born November 6, 1969) is an American novelist. He is the author of eight novels, including his 1999 debut work '' The Intuitionist''; '' The Underground Railroad'' (2016), for which he won the 2016 National Book Awar ...

* Cora, a shopkeeper in television commercials for Maxwell House coffee portrayed by Margaret Hamilton * Cora Tull, a narrator and fictional character from Faulkner's ''

As I Lay Dying ''As I Lay Dying'' is a 1930 Southern Gothic novel by American author William Faulkner. Faulkner's fifth novel, it is consistently ranked among the best novels of 20th-century literature.The New Lifetime Reading Plan: The Classical Guide to Wor ...

'' * Cora Thayer Prescott, aunt of the main character of the Netflix series ''

Spirit Riding Free ''Spirit Riding Free'' is a computer-animated series, produced by DreamWorks Animation Television and distributed by Netflix, based on the 2002 Oscar-nominated traditionally animated film, '' Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron'', and the first se ...

'' *

, the main character of the animated television series ''

The Legend of Korra ''The Legend of Korra'' (abbreviated as TLOK), also known as ''Avatar: The Legend of Korra'' or simply ''Korra'', is an American Anime-influenced animation, anime-influenced Animated series, animated television series created by Michael Dante ...

References

{{given name, type=both English feminine given names Greek-language surnames Surnames Greek-language names