Nora is a girl name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Nora means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Nora across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Nora has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Nora is a girl name of Latin origin meaning “honour, or light”. a short form of Honora or Eleanor.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 193,922 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 4,244 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 334 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 232 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 4,253 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Nora per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 2025 (6,386/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2025 (616/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1965 (310/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2024 (56/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2024 (39/yr).
Nora has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 2025, when it ranked #63 nationally (given to 7,116 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 2020s.
Norah · Nira · Noor · Neriah · Nyra · Nori · Nuri · Nery
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