Ora
Ora was the 3760th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 40 babies. Its best year was 1881, when it ranked 104th; the most babies were born in 1919 (920). Over the last ten years it has moved up 448 places. More babies were named Ora in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Aura) breeze (Greek); also short for Aurelia · Greek, Latin
- Rank in 2025
- #3,760 girls, up 380 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 40girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1919920 babies
- Total since 1880
- 44,894babies recorded
What does the name Ora mean?
Ora is a spelling of Aura, pronounced the same way, so it shares Aura's meaning and origin.
Aura is the Greek word aura 'breeze, breath of air', and Aura was a minor Greek goddess of the breeze. The English word aura, a subtle atmosphere around a person, comes from the same source through Latin. Wiktionary also notes Aura as a short form of Aurelia, from the Roman family name Aurelius (Latin aureus 'golden'). It has been used in the US since 1881 and is common in Spanish-speaking countries.
αὔρα (aura) (Ancient Greek, “breeze”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Aurelia, Aurora, Ora.
See also: Greek names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Aura', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'aura' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (our computation), SSA (public domain)
Ora popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,760 | — | 40 | — |
| 2020 | #4,140 | — | 34 | — |
| 2010 | #7,146 | — | 18 | — |
| 2000 | #7,927 | #11,676 | 13 | 5 |
| 1990 | #8,332 | #9,116 | 10 | 5 |
| 1980 | #2,578 | #4,050 | 37 | 10 |
| 1970 | #1,630 | #3,215 | 58 | 10 |
| 1960 | #958 | #1,609 | 125 | 26 |
| 1950 | #491 | #1,082 | 270 | 43 |
| 1940 | #311 | #900 | 420 | 50 |
| 1930 | #237 | #676 | 677 | 86 |
| 1920 | #215 | #570 | 895 | 120 |
| 1910 | #158 | #351 | 495 | 53 |
| 1900 | #133 | #334 | 463 | 42 |
| 1890 | #114 | #241 | 354 | 49 |
| 1880 | #114 | #194 | 149 | 64 |
How popular is Ora, counting every spelling?
Ora is a spelling of Aura, a name family that ranked #744 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #3,760 for Ora on its own. Together these spellings went to 373 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aura | 333 | #817 | 1,409 |
| Ora | 40 | #3,760 | 210 |
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 Ora?
40 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Ora (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Ora 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 210 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Ora.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Ora?
About 7,300 people born in the US named Ora are alive today, with a median age of 74; half are between 61 and 83. That makes Ora a name most people associate with older generations.
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.
Ora by state
How common Ora was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 48 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Ora: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Ora, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Ora
What does Ora mean?
Ora is a spelling of Aura, which means “breeze (Greek); also short for Aurelia” (Greek, Latin origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Ora?
Ora was the 3760th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 40 babies. Its best year was 1881, when it ranked 104th; the most babies were born in 1919 (920). Over the last ten years it has moved up 448 places. More babies were named Ora in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Ora a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Ora in the US.
Where is Ora most popular?
In 2021–2025, Ora was most common in California (0.03 per 1,000 girls), followed by New York and Ohio.