Lenora
Lenora was the 539th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 562 babies. Its best year was 1881, when it ranked 183rd; the most babies were born in 1924 (678). Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,078 places. More babies were named Lenora in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning variant of Eleanor (origin uncertain) · French, English
Say it leh-NOR-uh /ləˈnɔrə/
- Rank in 2025
- #539 girls, up 575 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 562girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1924678 babies
- Total since 1880
- 37,089babies recorded
What does the name Lenora mean?
Lenora is a variant of Eleanor, according to Wiktionary, related to Leonora and Lenore. DMNES calls Eleanor of uncertain origin. A common explanation, from the name of Eleanor of Aquitaine's mother Aenor with a prefix, cannot be the whole story, DMNES says, because examples may predate her. Lenora has been used in the US since 1880 and was most common in the 1920s; Nora, a short form of Eleanor, is a related name.
How sure is this? Uncertain. Meaning through Eleanor, which DMNES calls of uncertain origin.
Other explanations you may read: Means 'light' (from Greek). This comes from linking Eleanor with Helen; DMNES treats Eleanor's origin as uncertain..
Related names: Eleanor, Leonora, Lenore, Nora.
See also: French names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Lenora' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Eleanor', DMNES (Durham University)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Nicknames for Lenora
The usual nicknames for Lenora are Nora and Lennie. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Lenora in the last five years, 1676 were named Nora, against 1969 twenty years earlier. Lennie is also gaining on the full name.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nora · also for Eleanor, Eleanora | Traditional | #20 | 30,984 |
| Lennie | Modern | #2,557 | 239 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Lenoras go by each one.
Lenora popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 31 since 1914.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #539 | 562 |
| 2020 | #1,114 | 219 |
| 2010 | #2,630 | 69 |
| 2000 | #3,102 | 45 |
| 1990 | #2,188 | 59 |
| 1980 | #1,263 | 103 |
| 1970 | #671 | 238 |
| 1960 | #448 | 473 |
| 1950 | #392 | 433 |
| 1940 | #315 | 410 |
| 1930 | #288 | 523 |
| 1920 | #267 | 595 |
| 1910 | #262 | 214 |
| 1900 | #265 | 153 |
| 1890 | #245 | 102 |
| 1880 | #185 | 66 |
How popular is Lenora, counting every spelling?
Lenora is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #533 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #539 for Lenora on its own. Together these spellings went to 571 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lenora | 562 | #539 | 1,849 |
| Lenorah | 9 | #10,553 | 44 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Lenora?
562 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Lenora (0.16 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Lenora born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 15 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Lenora.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Lenora?
About 16,700 people born in the US named Lenora are alive today, with a median age of 62; half are between 33 and 74. That makes Lenora a name most people associate with older generations. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Lenora by state
How common Lenora was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Wisconsin (3.3×), Minnesota (3.1×), Iowa (3.1×), Nebraska (2.7×), Michigan (2.3×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New Jersey, Connecticut, California.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Lenora: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Lenora, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Lenora
What does Lenora mean?
Lenora is usually explained as “variant of Eleanor (origin uncertain)”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Lenora?
Lenora was the 539th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 562 babies. Its best year was 1881, when it ranked 183rd; the most babies were born in 1924 (678). Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,078 places. More babies were named Lenora in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Lenora a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Lenora in the US.
Where is Lenora most popular?
In 2021–2025, Lenora was most common in Wisconsin (0.76 per 1,000 girls), followed by Minnesota and Iowa.