Noura
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "divine light" or "radiance".
Name Census estimates that about 1,119 living Americans carry the first name Noura. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Noura today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Noura births was 2024 (92 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Noura. 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
- • Noura is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 14 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.1K
~ 1 in 306,304 Americans
Peak year
2024
92 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,089
Tracked since 1983
Popularity
Noura: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Noura from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 390 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Noura 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 Noura during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nouras live
The SSA's state-level files cover 13 states and territories. California, New York, Michigan recorded the most babies named Noura, while Maryland, Massachusetts, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 24 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Noura
The given name Noura originates from the Arabic language and culture, tracing its roots back to the Middle Eastern region. It is derived from the Arabic word "nur," which means "light" or "radiance." This name is believed to have been in use since the early centuries of Islam, as it carries a symbolic meaning related to enlightenment and divine guidance.
In ancient Arabic literature and poetry, the term "nur" is often used to describe the metaphorical light of knowledge, wisdom, and spiritual illumination. The name Noura, therefore, has a rich cultural and religious significance, making it a popular choice among Muslim families for centuries.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Noura can be found in the historical accounts of the Abbasid Caliphate, which ruled a vast empire spanning from North Africa to Central Asia between the 8th and 13th centuries. During this period, several prominent women bore the name Noura, including Noura bint Ali al-Abbasi, a renowned scholar and poet who lived in the 9th century.
Throughout history, the name Noura has been carried by numerous notable figures, including Noura Al-Sadani (1935-2023), a renowned Saudi Arabian writer and women's rights activist; Noura Erakat (born 1986), a Palestinian-American legal scholar and human rights attorney; and Noura Mint Seymali (born 1986), a celebrated Mauritanian singer and musician.
Another famous bearer of the name was Noura Al-Ghoussein (1963-2022), an Emirati artist and photographer whose works explored themes of identity, displacement, and cultural memory. Additionally, Noura Bint Abdul Rahman Al Saud (1900-1976), a member of the Saudi royal family, played a significant role in promoting women's education and social welfare initiatives in the region.
These are just a few examples of the many remarkable individuals who have carried the name Noura throughout history, showcasing its enduring presence across diverse cultures and eras.
People
Noura + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Noura 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
Noura: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Noura?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,119 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Noura 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 306,304 US residents.
Is Noura a common name?
We classify Noura as "Rare". It ranks above 90.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,134 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Noura most popular?
The single biggest year for Noura was 2024, when 92 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Noura is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Noura a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Noura 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.