Cornelius
kor-NEE-lee-us
A stately Latin name traditionally linked to the Roman Cornelii family, often associated in Christian naming with St. Cornelius.
Meaning
Cornelius is the Latin name of an ancient Roman family name, the Cornelii. The excerpts do not give a secure literal meaning for the root, and one notes that the name is simply treated as the Latin form. In Christian-name tradition, it became established through St. Cornelius and later spread widely in European usage.
Origin
Latinmasculine
Fun fact
The excerpted sources show Cornelius turning up in many European forms, including Cornelie, Cornelio, and the French surname Corneille.
Confidence: mixed. Sources: History of Christian Names, Praenomina; or, the etymology of the principal Christian names of Great Britain and Ireland, A list of Christian names, their derivatives, nicknames and equivalents in several languages, Girls' Names and Name-Day and Birthday Book, Curiosities of Puritan Nomenclature.