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Nora Baby girl name meaning, origin, and popularity

Nora name meaning and origin

Nora is often thought of as an Irish name, but it's a common name in various parts of the world and has a long history, as well as a few different meanings and spellings.

In Europe, Nora emerged as a shorter version of Honora, which comes from the Latin word "honor." Nora is also short for Eleanora, a Greek name meaning "light."

In Hebrew, Nora is spelled Norah, which means "light." Arabic variations of the name are often spelled Noora, Nura, Noor, Nour, or Nur, which also means "light" or "the divine light."

Nora is a beloved stand-alone name, but it can also be used as a nickname for Eleanor or Eleanora. Nora is pronounced "nor-rah" and spellings include Nora, Norah, Noora and Nura. It is most commonly used a girls' name but can be used for babies of any gender. (And the names Noor, Nour, and Nur are gender-neutral.)

Nora is a beautiful and classic name that has an elegant ring to it but is simple to spell and say. And Nora isn't just for babies. In fact, many towns in Australia, Sweden, and the United States are named Nora. The Nora Stone, which was discovered in Sardinia, is an ancient Phoenician relic found in a pre-Roman town called Nora.

If you like the sound of the name Nora, but want to use it as a nickname for a longer name, you have lots of options, including Lenora, Noreen, Eleanora, Sonora, Honoria, and Norina. And while the short and sweet Nora doesn't lend itself well to nicknames, you could try out Nor, Nory, Nono, or Rah.

In the United States, Nora was more widely used in the 19th century and experienced a decline from the late 1800s to 2000. But the name has reemerged over the past twenty years, climbing from number 502 on the Social Security Administration's list of top baby girl names in the year 2000 to number 30 in 2020.

BabyCenter parents are also drawn to Nora, keeping it in the top-100 baby girl names on the site since 2013. (BabyCenter's ranking is based on data from hundreds of thousands of parents who share their baby's name with us.)

Nora's revival may be due to the popularity of singer Norah Jones, actress Nora Lum (known professionally as Awkwafina), and director Nora Ephron, who passed away in 2012.

For such a storied name, Nora feels unpretentious and authentic, making it quite the "honorable" choice for parents looking for an elegant baby name.

Nora name popularity

Popularity over time

babies per million
Source: Social Security Administration & BabyCenter user data

Nora in pop culture

Nora Charles
Character from the Dashiell Hammett novel The Thin Man
Nora
Protagonist in Henrik Ibsen's play A Doll's House
Nora Allen
Character from the comic books The Flash
Nora Bing
Character from the television sitcom Friends
Nora Batty
Character from the British television series Last of the Summer Wine
Nora Dershlit
Character from the teen show iCarly
Nora Fries
Character in several different comics, also known as Mrs. Freeze
Nora Lewin
Character in the television series Law and Order
Nora Waler
Character in the television series Brothers and Sisters
Nora Durst
Character from the television series The Leftovers
Nora Walker
Character from the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why
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Famous people named Nora

Nora Ephron
American filmmaker, director, and writer known for her romantic comedies When Harry Met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle
Nora McInerny
American author, speaker, and podcast creator
Nora Berra
French politician and physician
Nora Roberts
American romance novelist
Nora Georgine
Princess of Lichtenstein
Nora Campos
American politician from California
Norah Jones
American singer, songwriter, and pianist
Nora Lum
American actress and rapper known professionally as Awkwafina
Nora Miao
Hong Kong film actress
Nora Nicholson
British actress
Nora Perry
American poet, newspaper correspondent, and writer
Nora Lawrence Smith
American newspaper publisher and activist
Nora Volkow
Mexican-American psychiatrist and director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

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