Nora
Nora was the 20th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 6,380 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 21 places. More babies were named Nora in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning short form of Eleanor or Honora · Latin (via Honora), Occitan (via Eleanor)
Say it NOR-uh /ˈnɔrə/
- Rank in 2025
- #20 girls, up 10 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 6,380girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20256,380 babies
- Total since 1880
- 193,922babies recorded
What does the name Nora mean?
Nora began as a short form of Eleanor and, less often, of Honora. Honora comes from the Latin word for honor. Because Eleanor's own origin is uncertain, Nora has no simple 'meaning' beyond being a pet form.
honor (Latin, “honor (root of Honora)”)
How sure is this? Well established. It is a short form of two unrelated names.
See also: French names.
Nora popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 784 since 1880, 6 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #20 | 6,380 |
| 2020 | #30 | 5,583 |
| 2010 | #159 | 1,939 |
| 2000 | #502 | 540 |
| 1990 | #431 | 588 |
| 1980 | #400 | 571 |
| 1970 | #366 | 676 |
| 1960 | #238 | 1,345 |
| 1950 | #225 | 1,116 |
| 1940 | #209 | 843 |
| 1930 | #190 | 1,015 |
| 1920 | #157 | 1,477 |
| 1910 | #111 | 753 |
| 1900 | #83 | 919 |
| 1890 | #63 | 835 |
| 1880 | #56 | 471 |
How popular is Nora, counting every spelling?
Nora is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #18 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #20 for Nora on its own. Together these spellings went to 7,651 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nora | 6,380 | #20 | 30,984 |
| Norah | 1,191 | #262 | 7,393 |
| Noora | 58 | #2,921 | 243 |
| Noraa | 11 | #9,299 | 64 |
| Noorah | 11 | #9,298 | 53 |
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 Nora?
6,380 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Nora (1.77 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Nora born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 30. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 1 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Nora.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Nora?
About 131,900 people born in the US named Nora are alive today, with a median age of 12; half are between 6 and 41. That makes Nora a young name: most people with it are children. 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.
Nora by state
How common Nora was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Vermont (4.9×), New Hampshire (3.4×), North Dakota (3.2×), Montana (3.1×), Rhode Island (3.0×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Texas, California, Florida.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Nora: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Nora, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Nora · Sibling names for Nora
Nora is also a nickname for Eleanor, Lenora and Eleanora.
Questions about the name Nora
What does Nora mean?
Nora means “short form of Eleanor or Honora” (Latin (via Honora), Occitan (via Eleanor) origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Nora?
Nora was the 20th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 6,380 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 21 places. More babies were named Nora in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Nora a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Nora in the US.
Where is Nora most popular?
In 2021–2025, Nora was most common in Vermont (18.57 per 1,000 girls), followed by New Hampshire and North Dakota.