Cornelius

Cornelius is a masculine given name of Latin origin from Cornelius, meaning "horn" or "horned." It has been used in English, Dutch, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Scandinavian contexts, and appears in various forms such as Cornel, Cornelo, Cornelis, and Corneliu. It is also used as a surname.

In the Christian Bible, Cornelius the Centurion is described in Acts 10 as a Roman army officer who fears God and, after Peter's visit, becomes the first Gentile convert to Christianity. In early Christian history, Pope Cornelius served as the Bishop of Rome from about 251 to 253 and is venerated as a saint in Catholic and Orthodox traditions.

Notable individuals with the given name include Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa (1486–1535), a German polymath and influential writer on occult philosophy, and Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794–1877), an American industrialist and patriarch of the Vanderbilt family. The name also appears in literature and broader culture, where it has been used for various fictional and historical figures.