Nora

Nora meaning

Nora is an international girl's name of Irish origin (from Latin).

Short for Honora (Latin honos, "honour") or Leonora

Also used to mean: light

Nora is an Irish short form of Honora (Irish Onóra) or of Leonora, as the Online Etymology Dictionary notes. Honora goes back to Latin Honoria, from honos, "honour, reputation", and Lewis & Short give honos as honour, repute and esteem. Leonora is a form of Eleanor, a name brought to England by Eleanor of Aquitaine. Name lists often say Nora means "light", borrowing a meaning claimed for Eleanor through Helen, but that is uncertain; "honour" is the clearer root. The name is famous from Nora Helmer in Ibsen's A Doll's House, and in India from the actress Nora Fatehi. It is said NOR-uh.

Source: Online Etymology Dictionary (etymonline.com) · entry Nora · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026

References: Online Etymology Dictionary, Nora · Online Etymology Dictionary, Honoria · Lewis & Short, honos (Logeion)

Famous namesakes

• Nora Helmer, heroine of Ibsen's A Doll's House
• Nora Fatehi, Indian film actress and dancer

Popularity abroad

• #20 United States, girls 2025 (up 2 from 22 in 2024)
  US Social Security Administration
• #75 England and Wales, girls 2025
  Office for National Statistics

Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.

Spellings

Nora · Norah

Related names

More names of Latin origin

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