Girl nameCurrently #22 in the USSteady
Nora
NOR-uh//ˈnɔːrə//
2 syllablesPeak year: 20214 lettersStarts with N
Meaning & origin
Honor, or light
Nora most often serves as a short form of Honora (from the Latin for honor) in Irish tradition, or of Eleanor in wider English usage; it is also connected to an Arabic root meaning 'light'. Its crisp, two-syllable warmth has made it a favorite vintage revival name in recent decades.
Nora's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Nora |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 476 |
| 1881 | 498 |
| 1882 | 539 |
| 1883 | 589 |
| 1884 | 648 |
| 1885 | 678 |
| 1886 | 716 |
| 1887 | 743 |
| 1888 | 839 |
| 1889 | 831 |
| 1890 | 840 |
| 1891 | 801 |
| 1892 | 906 |
| 1893 | 831 |
| 1894 | 861 |
| 1895 | 852 |
| 1896 | 844 |
| 1897 | 819 |
| 1898 | 873 |
| 1899 | 709 |
| 1900 | 928 |
| 1901 | 727 |
| 1902 | 732 |
| 1903 | 730 |
| 1904 | 703 |
| 1905 | 753 |
| 1906 | 654 |
| 1907 | 683 |
| 1908 | 648 |
| 1909 | 678 |
| 1910 | 763 |
| 1911 | 788 |
| 1912 | 895 |
| 1913 | 898 |
| 1914 | 1,050 |
| 1915 | 1,303 |
| 1916 | 1,326 |
| 1917 | 1,376 |
| 1918 | 1,390 |
| 1919 | 1,384 |
| 1920 | 1,494 |
| 1921 | 1,358 |
| 1922 | 1,235 |
| 1923 | 1,231 |
| 1924 | 1,347 |
| 1925 | 1,326 |
| 1926 | 1,214 |
| 1927 | 1,092 |
| 1928 | 1,091 |
| 1929 | 1,031 |
| 1930 | 1,026 |
| 1931 | 916 |
| 1932 | 983 |
| 1933 | 903 |
| 1934 | 901 |
| 1935 | 922 |
| 1936 | 801 |
| 1937 | 856 |
| 1938 | 869 |
| 1939 | 864 |
| 1940 | 850 |
| 1941 | 856 |
| 1942 | 849 |
| 1943 | 864 |
| 1944 | 842 |
| 1945 | 845 |
| 1946 | 974 |
| 1947 | 1,108 |
| 1948 | 1,086 |
| 1949 | 1,206 |
| 1950 | 1,117 |
| 1951 | 1,170 |
| 1952 | 1,130 |
| 1953 | 1,158 |
| 1954 | 1,161 |
| 1955 | 1,052 |
| 1956 | 1,178 |
| 1957 | 1,168 |
| 1958 | 1,184 |
| 1959 | 1,285 |
| 1960 | 1,356 |
| 1961 | 1,130 |
| 1962 | 1,075 |
| 1963 | 1,074 |
| 1964 | 1,059 |
| 1965 | 889 |
| 1966 | 855 |
| 1967 | 732 |
| 1968 | 703 |
| 1969 | 709 |
| 1970 | 676 |
| 1971 | 629 |
| 1972 | 604 |
| 1973 | 573 |
| 1974 | 587 |
| 1975 | 552 |
| 1976 | 517 |
| 1977 | 518 |
| 1978 | 584 |
| 1979 | 536 |
| 1980 | 580 |
| 1981 | 558 |
| 1982 | 564 |
| 1983 | 528 |
| 1984 | 559 |
| 1985 | 547 |
| 1986 | 490 |
| 1987 | 546 |
| 1988 | 606 |
| 1989 | 606 |
| 1990 | 593 |
| 1991 | 575 |
| 1992 | 524 |
| 1993 | 526 |
| 1994 | 530 |
| 1995 | 550 |
| 1996 | 557 |
| 1997 | 563 |
| 1998 | 540 |
| 1999 | 584 |
| 2000 | 540 |
| 2001 | 622 |
| 2002 | 600 |
| 2003 | 835 |
| 2004 | 1,043 |
| 2005 | 1,197 |
| 2006 | 1,385 |
| 2007 | 1,474 |
| 2008 | 1,559 |
| 2009 | 1,670 |
| 2010 | 1,939 |
| 2011 | 2,235 |
| 2012 | 2,890 |
| 2013 | 3,508 |
| 2014 | 4,745 |
| 2015 | 5,330 |
| 2016 | 5,593 |
| 2017 | 6,067 |
| 2018 | 5,844 |
| 2019 | 5,935 |
| 2020 | 5,587 |
| 2021 | 6,276 |
| 2022 | 6,146 |
| 2023 | 6,020 |
| 2024 | 6,128 |
Nora through the decades
- Nora peaked in 2021, when 6,276 babies were named Nora in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Nora has risen 161% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Nora currently ranks #22 in the US and is holding steady.
Nicknames
Nora
Variants & spellings
NorahHonora
Famous people named Nora
- Nora Ephron — writer and filmmaker