Xora
A feminine name of unknown origin and meaning.
Name Census estimates that about 56 living Americans carry the first name Xora. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Xora today is around 4 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Xora births was 2023 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Xora. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Xora. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
56
~ 1 in 6,120,613 Americans
Peak year
2023
15 babies that year
Average age
4
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,382
Tracked since 2019
Popularity
Xora: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Xora from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 51 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
Xora 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 Xora during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Xora
The name Xora has its origins in ancient Greek culture, dating back to the 5th century BCE. It is derived from the Greek word "xoros," which means "dance" or "chorus." This suggests that the name may have been associated with the art of dance or the performance of choral works in ancient Greek theater and festivals.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Xora can be found in the works of the ancient Greek playwright Euripides. In his tragedy "The Bacchae," a character named Xora is mentioned as a member of the chorus, further solidifying the connection between the name and the Greek tradition of choral performance.
During the Byzantine era, the name Xora gained popularity among Greek Orthodox Christians. It is believed that some families may have chosen this name as a nod to the Greek roots of their faith and the importance of religious festivals and celebrations in the Byzantine tradition.
In the 9th century CE, a notable figure named Xora of Constantinople lived as a scholar and philosopher in the Byzantine Empire. Although little is known about her life, her existence serves as an early example of a woman bearing this name.
Another historical figure with the name Xora was a 12th-century Byzantine noblewoman and philanthropist. She founded a monastery in Constantinople and was known for her charitable works and patronage of the arts.
During the Renaissance period, the name Xora resurfaced in Italian literature. A character named Xora appeared in the pastoral play "Il Sacrificio" by the Italian playwright Giambattista Guarini, which was first performed in 1590.
In more recent times, a notable bearer of the name Xora was Xora Makris, a Greek actress and singer who lived from 1924 to 2008. She had a successful career in both theater and film, and her performances helped to keep the name Xora alive in popular culture.
Throughout its history, the name Xora has maintained a strong connection to its Greek roots and the traditions of dance, music, and performance. While not as widely used as some other Greek names, it has endured as a unique and culturally significant moniker, carrying with it a rich tapestry of history and meaning.
People
Xora + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Xora as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with X
Other first names starting with X with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Xora: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Xora?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 56 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Xora 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 6,120,613 US residents.
Is Xora a common name?
We classify Xora as "Very Rare". It ranks above 56% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 56 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Xora most popular?
The single biggest year for Xora was 2023, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Xora is about 4 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Xora in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Xora a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Xora 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.
Is Xora still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Xora in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Xora can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Xora?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.