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Name Lineage

    The first name Norah

    A girl’s name.

    2 syllables Female

    Meaning and origin

    A female given name, a pseudo-Hebrew spelling of Nora, diminutive of Eleonora or Honora.

    Norah is a short form of

    .

    A form of Nora.

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 195 girls were named Norah, making it the 240th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2022, with 202 births (#232).

    0150300 1996200020052010201520202025
    2,208
    babies named Norah, 1996–2025
    #240
    rank in 2025
    2022
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Norah with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Norah at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 1,191 girls born in the United States were named Norah, the 262nd most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2017, when 2,156 were.

    01,5003,000 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    33,998
    babies named Norah since 1880
    #262
    rank in 2025
    2017
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Famous people named Norah

    9 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Norah Jones
      American musician (born 1979)
    • Norah Lange
      Argentine author (1905–1972)
    • Norah O'Donnell
      American television journalist who is currently a senior correspondent on CBS News and con, born 1974
    • Norah Neilson Gray
      British artist of the Glasgow School (1882-1931)
    • Norah Baring
      English actress (1905-1985)
    • Norah Elam
      British suffragist (1878-1961)
    • Norah McClintock
      Canadian writer known for crime or detective fiction (1952–2017)
    • Princess Margaret of Connaught
      British princess; Crown Princess of Sweden as the first wife of King Gustaf VI Adolf (1882
    • Margaret Elphinstone
      British writer, born 1948

    Questions

    How popular is the name Norah?
    In 2025, 195 girls born in England and Wales were named Norah, ranking 240th. Its peak was 2022, with 202 births.
    Is Norah a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 33,998 US babies named Norah since 1880 were girls.
    When was Norah most popular?
    2017 in the United States, when 2,156 babies were named Norah, its highest rank at 137th.
    What name is Norah a form of?
    Norah is a form of Nora.