Names › Girls' names › N › Nora

Nora

Meaning: short form of Honora ('honour') or Eleanor · Origin: Irish / Latin · Gender: usually a girl's name

Origin & history

A short form of Honora (Latin honor) and Eleanor. Henrik Ibsen's heroine Nora in A Doll's House (1879) made it famous.

Famous people named Nora

Nora Ephron (writer, director)
Nora Roberts (novelist)

Nicknames

Nor

Variants & related names

Norah, Noor

Nora name art

A free preview of a printable “Nora” poster with its meaning — great for a nursery, a birthday or a gift.

Instant download, no subscription. Not printed or shipped — you get a high-resolution PNG to print at home or at a print shop.

FAQ

What does the name Nora mean?

Nora means “short form of Honora ('honour') or Eleanor”. It comes from Irish / Latin.

Is Nora a popular name?

Yes — Nora has been one of the most popular girls' names in the United States in the 2020s, according to US Social Security Administration baby-name data.

What are nicknames for Nora?

Nor.

What are other forms of Nora?

Norah, Noor.

Similar names

Alana · Riley · Quinn · Maeve · Kennedy · Reagan

More: names starting with N · all girls' names

Sources: standard name etymology references (e.g. Behind the Name, Oxford Dictionary of First Names); popularity from US SSA and UK ONS baby-name data. Meanings of old names are often debated — where scholars disagree we say so.