Coretta is a diminutive of Cora, typically used as a feminine given name in English-speaking countries. While the name itself is rare, its claim to fame lies in its association with Coretta Scott King (1927–2006), the civil rights activist and wife of Martin Luther King Jr. The name gained public visibility through her, though it remains uncommon aside from this prominent bearer.Coretta is a variant spelling or formation related to names like Corie and Corrie, which are also diminutives of Cora or similar. Its root, Cora, is a Latinized form of the Greek name Kore (meaning "maiden"), famously linked to the goddess Persephone in Greek mythology. Cora entered English usage thanks to James Fenimore Cooper, who used it for a character in his 1826 novel The Last of the Mohicans. In some cases, Cora also serves as a short form of names like Cordula or Corinna.Interestingly, the name Coretta was also given to a Thoroughbred racehorse foaled in 1994. The horse's owner, Gerald W. Leigh, named her for Coretta Scott King, as a tribute to the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., whose speech "I Have a Dream" inspired the name of the horse's dam, Free At Last.