Cordell
- Pronunciation
- [Cor-dell]
- Gender
- Male
- Meaning
- Cordmaker.
- Origin
- English
About the Name Cordell
Cordell is an English occupational surname meaning "cordmaker" or maker of rope, from the Old French corde, "cord." Like many trade-derived surnames, it crossed into use as a given name with a dignified, somewhat distinguished air, and its smooth two-syllable shape lends it an unexpected warmth. Pronounced Cor-dell, it reads as both classic and approachable, a surname-name with a soft, rounded ending that keeps it from feeling stiff while preserving its established, old-fashioned sense of substance and craft.
The name was borne by American statesman Cordell Hull, who served as United States Secretary of State from 1933 to 1944 — the longest tenure in that office — and was awarded the 1945 Nobel Peace Prize for his role in establishing the United Nations. His distinguished public service lent the name a measure of stately, diplomatic gravitas that lingers as its most prominent historical association.
Cordell first entered the US Social Security top-1000 in 2000 and held the list through 2008, accumulating 1,337 births across those years. It reached its best national rank of #640 in 2000, with a later showing of #785 in 2008 before it eased below the threshold — a relatively brief, modest run. Recorded variants include Cord, Cordale, Corday, Kord, Kordale, and Kordell, ranging from the trim nickname Cord to more elaborate and phonetic spellings.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration name data, 1880–2024 (methodology). By Marvin Tang.
Quick Facts About Cordell
US Popularity History (2000–2008)
Annual US births named Cordell by gender, from US Social Security Administration records. Peak year: 2000 with 285 boys named Cordell (boy rank #640 that year).
Where it stands today: in 2008, ranked #785 for boys (279 US births). That's 145 places below its 2000 peak.
Source: US Social Security Administration. Limitations: US birth-certificate data only; names appearing fewer than 5 times in a given year are suppressed for privacy; spelling variants are counted separately. For names that ranked outside the US top 100 before year 2000, only the years they reached the top 100 are shown — the chart may have gaps for less-popular historical names.
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Variant Forms
Famous People Named Cordell
1 notable figure from history and culture who share the name Cordell.
- Cordell Hull was the longest serving Secretary of State in the U.S.
Looking for names like Cordell?
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Compare Cordell to Other Popular Names
Side-by-side popularity charts and crossover years for Cordell against today's most popular boys-name peers (top 8 by US births in the last 10 years of SSA records).