Nura
Light or luminous, from the Arabic language.
Name Census estimates that about 843 living Americans carry the first name Nura. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Nura today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nura births was 2019 (57 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nura. 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.
People living today
843
~ 1 in 406,589 Americans
Peak year
2019
57 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,200
Tracked since 1981
Popularity
Nura: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nura 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 321 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Nura remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nura 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 Nura during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nuras live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Nura, while Virginia, New Jersey, Minnesota recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 20 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Nura
The name Nura is believed to have its origins in the Arabic language, where it is derived from the word "nur," meaning "light" or "illumination." This name has been particularly prevalent in the Middle Eastern and North African regions, where Arabic culture and linguistics have had a significant influence.
In Islamic tradition, the concept of "nur" holds deep spiritual and religious significance, often associated with divine guidance, enlightenment, and the radiance of truth. Consequently, the name Nura may have been bestowed upon individuals as a symbolic representation of these virtues or as a prayer for the child to be a source of light and wisdom.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nura can be traced back to the 7th century CE, during the early years of the Islamic era. Historical records mention a woman named Nura bint Malik, who was a prominent figure in the city of Medina and known for her piety and charitable works.
Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the name Nura. One such figure was Nura Sami (1894-1975), a renowned Egyptian feminist and activist who played a pivotal role in advancing women's rights and advocating for educational reforms in her country.
Another historically significant individual with the name Nura was Nura Khalil al-Sa'dawi (1892-1957), an influential Iraqi poet and writer who was celebrated for her contributions to modern Arabic literature and her advocacy for social and cultural reforms.
In the realm of Islamic scholarship, Nura al-Huda (1908-1993) was a prominent Syrian scholar and author who wrote extensively on Islamic jurisprudence, theology, and women's issues. Her works were highly influential and widely read throughout the Arab world.
Nura Inayat Khan (1914-1944), a descendant of a Indian Muslim spiritual leader, was a British Special Operations Executive agent during World War II. She served as a wireless operator in occupied France and was captured, tortured, and executed by the Nazis, becoming a revered figure in the history of the French Resistance.
It is worth noting that while the name Nura has historically been more prevalent in regions with Arabic and Islamic cultural influences, it has also been adopted and used in various other cultures and linguistic contexts, reflecting the global reach and adaptability of names across different societies.
People
Nura + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nura 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
Nura: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nura?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 843 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nura 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 406,589 US residents.
Is Nura a common name?
We classify Nura as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 855 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nura most popular?
The single biggest year for Nura was 2019, when 57 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nura is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Nura a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nura 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.