US Popularity Rank: 26334

Origin: Romanian

Meaning: Horn

Cornel is a surname and boy’s given name of Latin and Romanian origin. It’s a shortened form of Cornelius, a Latin name that’s believed to derive from the word cornu, meaning “horn.” In the New Testament, Cornelius was a Roman centurion who was told by an angel to seek Peter, and later converted to Christianity. He is regarded as the first gentile convert. Cornelius was the name of several early saints, as well as a third-century pope. This shortened form, Cornel, is most popular in Romania, and would work well to keep baby connected to their heritage. Other variants include Korneel, Kerneels, Cornelis, Cornelio, Kornel, and more.