Nora
A feminine name of unknown origin, possibly derived from the Greek word for "light".
Roughly 122,656 people in the United States go by the first name Nora, which ranks #22 nationally when sorted by estimated living bearers. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Nora today is around 25 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nora births was 2021 (6,276 babies). In terms of living bearers, it sits close to Layla (122,572).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nora. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Although Nora is used almost entirely for girls, the SSA data does show 778 boys registered with the name since 1880.
People living today
123K
~ 1 in 2,794 Americans
Peak year
2021
6,276 babies that year
Average age
25
years old
2020 SSA rank
#22
Tracked since 1880
Gender
Gender distribution for Nora
Out of the 187,497 babies given the name Nora since 1880, 99.6% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Nora as a male name
- Ranked #11,589 in 2020
- 6 male births in 2020
- Peak: 1920 (17 births)
Nora as a female name
- Ranked #22 in 2024
- 6,128 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2021 (6,276 births)
Popularity
Nora: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nora from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 44,086 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Nora remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nora by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Nora during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Noras live
The SSA's state-level files cover 51 states and territories. Texas, California, New York recorded the most babies named Nora, while Wyoming, Delaware, Vermont recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 3,167 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Nora
The name Nora has its origins in the ancient Greek language. It is a contracted form of the name Honora, which was derived from the Latin word "honor" meaning honor or respect. The name Nora first appeared in use during the medieval period in Europe.
Nora was a relatively uncommon name throughout much of its early history. However, it gained greater popularity in the 19th century, particularly in English-speaking countries. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nora was in the play "A Doll's House" by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, which was first published in 1879. The central character in the play is named Nora Helmer.
Another notable early use of the name Nora was by the American author James Fenimore Cooper, who used it for a character in his novel "The Pioneers," published in 1823. This helped to further popularize the name in the United States.
One of the most famous historical figures named Nora was Nora Barnacle, the wife of the renowned Irish writer James Joyce. Nora Barnacle was born in 1884 and played a significant role in Joyce's life and literary works.
Another notable Nora was Nora Stanton Blatch, an American civil engineer, suffragist, and women's rights activist. She was born in 1883 and was a key figure in the fight for women's suffrage in the United States.
Nora Ephron, the acclaimed American writer, filmmaker, and journalist, was also a prominent bearer of the name. She was born in 1941 and is known for her iconic works such as the films "When Harry Met Sally" and "Sleepless in Seattle."
Throughout history, the name Nora has been associated with qualities such as honor, respect, and strength. Its enduring popularity can be attributed to its rich cultural heritage and the notable individuals who have carried the name over the centuries.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Nora
People
Nora + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nora as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Nora: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nora?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 122,656 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nora going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 2,794 US residents.
Is Nora a common name?
We classify Nora as "Common". It ranks above 99.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 187,497 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nora most popular?
The single biggest year for Nora was 2021, when 6,276 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nora is about 25 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Nora a female name?
Yes, 99.6% of people registered as Nora in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.