Norah
Norah was the 262nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,191 babies. Its best year was 2017, when it ranked 137th with 2,156 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 103 places. More babies were named Norah in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Nora) short form of Eleanor or Honora · Latin (via Honora), Occitan (via Eleanor)
- Rank in 2025
- #262 girls, down 110 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,191girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20172,156 babies
- Total since 1880
- 33,998babies recorded
What does the name Norah mean?
Norah is a spelling of Nora, pronounced the same way, so it shares Nora's meaning and origin.
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.
Norah popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 129 since 1919.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #262 | 1,191 |
| 2020 | #152 | 1,810 |
| 2010 | #298 | 1,091 |
| 2000 | #2,627 | 57 |
| 1990 | #3,006 | 38 |
| 1980 | #2,845 | 32 |
| 1970 | #3,825 | 16 |
| 1960 | #2,415 | 25 |
| 1950 | #2,105 | 22 |
| 1940 | #2,079 | 16 |
| 1930 | #2,523 | 13 |
| 1920 | #1,792 | 23 |
| 1910 | #1,403 | 12 |
| 1900 | #911 | 18 |
| 1890 | #861 | 11 |
| 1880 | #618 | 9 |
How popular is Norah, counting every spelling?
Norah is a spelling of Nora, a name family that ranked #18 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #262 for Norah 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 Norah?
1,191 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Norah (0.33 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Norah 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 7 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Norah.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Norah?
About 32,600 people born in the US named Norah are alive today, with a median age of 10; half are between 6 and 14. That makes Norah a young name: most people with it are children.
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.
Norah by state
How common Norah was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in North Dakota (3.4×), Rhode Island (3.4×), Maine (3.0×), South Dakota (2.7×), New Hampshire (2.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Delaware, New Mexico, Nevada.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Norah: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Norah, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Norah
What does Norah mean?
Norah is a spelling of Nora, which means “short form of Eleanor or Honora” (Latin (via Honora), Occitan (via Eleanor) origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Norah?
Norah was the 262nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,191 babies. Its best year was 2017, when it ranked 137th with 2,156 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 103 places. More babies were named Norah in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Norah a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Norah in the US.
Where is Norah most popular?
In 2021–2025, Norah was most common in North Dakota (3.12 per 1,000 girls), followed by Rhode Island and Vermont.