Variant of Cora, from Greek 'kore' meaning maiden or daughter, associated with Persephone.
Kora is most often understood as a variant of Cora, a name that comes from the Greek Kore, meaning "maiden" or "daughter." In Greek mythology Kore was an epithet of Persephone, the daughter of Demeter, before she became queen of the underworld, so the name carries an old double image: youthful brightness on one hand, seasonal mystery and transformation on the other. The spelling with K gives it a sharper, more modern look, but its roots are ancient and deeply classical.
The older form Cora traveled through English-speaking culture in the nineteenth century, helped by the period's enthusiasm for Greek and Roman names and by literary use, including James Fenimore Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans, whose heroine Cora Munro made the name familiar to many readers. Kora emerged later as a phonetic and stylistic respelling, part of a broader trend toward replacing C with K for freshness or individuality. That shift gives Kora a contemporary feel while preserving the sound and mythic inheritance of its source.
Today Kora often feels sleek, international, and lightly bohemian. It belongs to a family of names that sound soft and feminine but are anchored by substantial history. Because of its connection to Persephone's maiden name, it can suggest innocence, renewal, and the turning of seasons, while its modern spelling keeps it from feeling antique. It is a name that manages to be both pared-down and storied.