NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Kornel

A masculine name of Slavic origin, possibly derived from the Latin word "cornus" meaning "horn".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Kornel is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Kornel popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3688, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2013, with 23 births.

This profile covers 272 England and Wales registrations across 19 recorded years from 2006 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 22% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 284 living people in the UK are called Kornel. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Kornel ranked #3688 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 5 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2013, when 23 boys were registered as Kornel.
  • Kornel ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #728 in 2023.
  • About 284 living people in the UK are estimated to have Kornel as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#3688

2024

Births in 2024

5

Latest year

Peak year

2013

23 births

Estimated living

284

2026

Meaning

What does Kornel mean?

The name Kornel has its origins in the Latin language and is derived from the Cornelius gens, an ancient Roman family name. The root 'corn' means 'horn' in Latin, referring to the prominent hornlike shape of the nose associated with members of this family.

The earliest recorded use of the name Cornelius dates back to the 5th century BC in ancient Rome. It gained prominence with the illustrious Cornelian family, which produced several influential figures in Roman history, including the famous military leader and statesman Scipio Africanus.

One of the most notable historical figures bearing the name Kornel was Cornelius the Centurion, mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament. He was a Roman centurion who converted to Christianity after receiving a vision from an angel, becoming one of the first Gentile converts.

During the Middle Ages, the name Cornelius was popular among Christians, particularly in regions influenced by the Roman Catholic Church. Several saints and religious figures bore this name, such as Cornelius the Centurion, who is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church.

In the Renaissance period, the name Kornel gained popularity among the European nobility and intellectual circles. One notable bearer was the Dutch humanist and philosopher Cornelius Agrippa (1486-1535), known for his influential works on occult philosophy and natural magic.

Another historical figure with the name Kornel was the Dutch painter Cornelis de Vos (1584-1651), renowned for his portraits of nobility and religious scenes.

In the 19th century, the Polish composer Kornel Szymanowski (1882-1937) achieved international recognition for his unique blend of traditional Polish folk music with contemporary musical styles.

The name Kornel has also been borne by several notable scientists, including the Polish mathematician Kornel Michałowski (1799-1865), who made significant contributions to the field of mathematical analysis.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Kornel over time

The chart below shows babies named Kornel registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2006 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Kornel, the clearest high point is 2013. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2024, compared with 23 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Kornel
06121723200620152024

Decades

Kornel by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Kornel was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #2521 47 5
2010s #1360 185 10
2000s #2334 40 4

Geography

Where Kornel is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Kornel. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Kornel ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #728 in 2023.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Kornel in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#728 in 2023

4 years of NRS records, 14 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Kornel

  • Kornel Krzeczunowicz

    politician; writer; military officer

    Polish officer (1894-1988)

    1894-1988

Related

Names similar to Kornel

FAQ

Kornel: questions and answers

How popular is the name Kornel in the UK right now?

In 2024, Kornel was ranked #3688 for boys in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.

When was Kornel most popular?

The peak year on record was 2013, with 23 babies registered as Kornel in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Kornel?

A masculine name of Slavic origin, possibly derived from the Latin word "cornus" meaning "horn".

How many people are called Kornel in the UK?

A total of 272 babies have been registered as Kornel across the 19 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 14 more in Scotland.

Where is Kornel most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Kornel ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #728 in 2023. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.