Variant of Corinna, from Greek 'korē' meaning maiden; borne by an ancient Greek poetess.
Corrina traces its lineage to the ancient Greek Κόρινα (Korinna), a name borne by one of antiquity's most celebrated female poets. Korinna of Tanagra, who likely lived in the fifth or sixth century BCE, was said to have competed against — and defeated — the great lyric poet Pindar in verse contests, earning the playful nickname 'the fly' for her nimble wit. The name itself derives from the Greek kore, meaning maiden or young woman, a root shared with the goddess Persephone in her spring aspect.
The Roman poet Ovid immortalized a Corinna as his muse and lover in the Amores, the pseudonym lending the name an aura of romantic literary intrigue. Through the Renaissance and Enlightenment, poets and playwrights returned repeatedly to the name, including Robert Herrick's celebrated lyric 'Corinna's Going A-Maying' (1648), which wrapped it in pastoral sensuality and the bittersweet passage of time. In its various spellings — Corinna, Corina, Corinna, Corrina — the name drifted in and out of fashion across the centuries, never commanding dominant popularity but maintaining a devoted following.
The folk-blues standard 'Corrina, Corrina,' recorded by artists from Bo Carter to Bob Dylan, gave it soulful Americana resonance in the twentieth century. Today Corrina feels both learned and warmly approachable, a name with genuine historical depth worn lightly.