Norah Name Meaning

The name Norah means “little honor” or “little respect,” and this meaning is reflected in the personality of a Norah. People with this name are often seen as trustworthy, honest, and reliable. They are also known for their strong sense of responsibility and their ability to lead by example.

Origins of the Name Norah

The name Norah has its roots in Ireland and is a variation of the name Nóra. The name Nóra is derived from the Irish name Nóirín, which is a diminutive of the name Honora. Honora is the Latin form of the name Honorius, which means “honor” or “respect.” So, in essence, the name Norah means “little honor” or “little respect.”

Popularity of the Name Norah

Norah has been a popular name for girls for many years, but it saw a significant spike in popularity in the early 2000s. In the United States, the name Norah was the 97th most popular name for girls in 2000 and had risen to the 45th most popular name by 2010. The name Norah has also been popular in other English-speaking countries, such as Canada and the United Kingdom.

Final Thoughts on the Name Norah

While the name Norah has a rich history and meaning, it’s also just a really fun name to say! Just try saying it out loud a few times. See? It’s catchy and pleasant to the ear. Plus, with the nickname options of Nori or Norie, you can have even more fun with the name.

Overall, the name Norah is a beautiful and meaningful choice for a girl’s name. With its Irish roots, the name Norah has a rich history and a lovely meaning. And with its recent spike in popularity, it’s clear that many parents agree that Norah is a great choice for their little girl. So, if you’re expecting a baby girl and looking for a name, consider Norah. You won’t regret it!

Infographic of Norah name meaning, which is An English diminutive of names like Honora and Eleanor, Norah means honorable one and can also be spelled Nora.
Ask your friends & family about Norah…

Norah Name Popularity

How popular is the name Norah? Here’s everything we know.

Year Rank # Births % Births
1910 — 0 0%
1911 — 0 0%
1912 — 0 0%
1913 — 0 0%
1914 — 0 0%
1915 — 0 0%
1916 — 0 0%
1917 — 0 0%
1918 — 0 0%
1919 — 0 0%
1920 — 0 0%
1921 — 0 0%
1922 — 0 0%
1923 — 0 0%
1924 1,697 5 0.0004%
1925 — 0 0%
1926 1,657 5 0.0005%
1927 1,502 6 0.0005%
1928 — 0 0%
1929 1,624 5 0.0005%
1930 — 0 0%
1931 — 0 0%
1932 — 0 0%
1933 — 0 0%
1934 — 0 0%
1935 — 0 0%
1936 — 0 0%
1937 — 0 0%
1938 — 0 0%
1939 — 0 0%
1940 — 0 0%
1941 — 0 0%
1942 — 0 0%
1943 — 0 0%
1944 — 0 0%
1945 1,735 5 0.0004%
1946 — 0 0%
1947 — 0 0%
1948 — 0 0%
1949 1,891 5 0.0003%
1950 1,624 7 0.0004%
1951 1,510 11 0.0006%
1952 — 0 0%
1953 1,667 9 0.0005%
1954 — 0 0%
1955 — 0 0%
1956 — 0 0%
1957 — 0 0%
1958 1,565 14 0.0007%
1959 2,238 5 0.0003%
1960 1,954 7 0.0004%
1961 2,387 5 0.0003%
1962 1,968 7 0.0004%
1963 1,776 11 0.0006%
1964 2,082 6 0.0003%
1965 2,324 5 0.0003%
1966 2,117 6 0.0004%
1967 — 0 0%
1968 — 0 0%
1969 2,540 5 0.0003%
1970 — 0 0%
1971 — 0 0%
1972 2,169 7 0.0005%
1973 — 0 0%
1974 — 0 0%
1975 — 0 0%
1976 — 0 0%
1977 — 0 0%
1978 2,230 10 0.0007%
1979 — 0 0%
1980 3,173 5 0.0003%
1981 2,434 10 0.0007%
1982 2,899 6 0.0004%
1983 — 0 0%
1984 — 0 0%
1985 — 0 0%
1986 2,432 11 0.0007%
1987 2,935 6 0.0004%
1988 2,373 13 0.0008%
1989 3,230 6 0.0004%
1990 3,702 5 0.0003%
1991 — 0 0%
1992 3,771 5 0.0003%
1993 3,559 5 0.0003%
1994 3,685 5 0.0003%
1995 2,747 11 0.0007%
1996 3,452 5 0.0003%
1997 — 0 0%
1998 3,652 5 0.0003%
1999 — 0 0%
2000 2,561 16 0.001%
2001 3,880 5 0.0003%
2002 1,689 53 0.0035%
2003 831 242 0.0159%
2004 584 437 0.0287%
2005 515 531 0.0347%
2006 501 564 0.036%
2007 480 637 0.0404%
2008 470 627 0.0406%
2009 339 940 0.0629%
2010 294 1,066 0.074%
2011 262 1,196 0.0839%
2012 207 1,480 0.1039%
2013 183 1,718 0.1207%
2014 160 1,990 0.1366%
2015 157 2,020 0.1388%
2016 151 2,011 0.1395%
2017 134 2,142 0.1535%
2018 138 1,982 0.1443%
2019 138 1,957 0.1446%
2020 154 1,739 0.1366%
2021 158 1,656 0.1355%
2022 192 1,505 0.1141%

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Data via SSA.gov.

Names Like Norah

If you like Norah, you’ll love these other names like Norah.

What names sound like Norah?

If you like how Norah sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Norah.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Nera

Candle

Hebrew

Nira

Plowed field

Hebrew

Noora

Form of Nora

English

Nore

Sun ray, shining light

Greek

Norry

Woman of honor

Latin

Noura

Light

Aramaic

Nura

Light

Aramaic

What names are similar to Norah?

Find a name that’s like Norah, but just a little bit different.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Dorah

Gift

Greek

Jorah

First rain or autumn rain

Hebrew

Lorah
Morah

Irish

Nonah

Ninth

Latin

Zorah

Dawn

Slavic

Lists With Norah

Find inspiration in these baby girl name lists featuring the name Norah.

Siblings of Norah

Mamas with kids named Norah also have kids with these names.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Owen

Noble born

Welsh

Anna

Gracious

Hebrew

14 Comments

  1. The name Norah means light. I prayed that God would help me find a name for my baby girl and he confirmed this was to be her name when I came across it! It’s so important to me that she grows up knowing how important her impact is in this world and that she shines the light and love of Jesus to those around her. Mathew 5:14.

    Reply

  2. I met a girl named Norah while in CNA training, and absolutely adored her and it was like we had known each other for years. At the end of our training I told her, “If I don’t get have a baby girl, I’m going to name her Norah!” I’ve not seen her since then (she moved away and Facebook wasn’t what it is now).
    Norah means “light” or “the divine light”. I also chose her name for this reason. My hope and prayer is that she will light in the lives of the people she touches.
    It’s also a timeless name that I feel will age with her.

    Reply

  3. Simple yet elegant (Def not biased because it’s my name)

    Reply

  4. na

    Reply

  5. I don’t feel like sharing…

    Reply

  6. Classic name, across many different cultures

    Reply

  7. Our first dance was to “Come Away With Me” by Norah Jones at our wedding. We also love the meaning of Norah as “light”.

    Reply

  8. Choose the name based on the sound and meaning (woman of honor) which I was drawn to as I felt surrounded by news and examples of a society without grit, backbone, or honor – it was 2020 after all. I felt it was a grounded name that will serve her well in her life.

    Reply

  9. We chose the name Norah for our baby girl simply because we liked the sound of it. It’s strong yet feminine sounding and I like that it’s old fashioned and not super common these days. We also really liked the way it sounds in front of her middle name… Norah Dale

    Reply

  10. I wish to continue with extended breast feeding till 2 years however, my milk supply went down at around 7 months postpartum because i was not able to get time to breast feed due to demands at work.

    However, i wish to increase my breast milk supply so that we can continue till year two or even three.
    Another set back is that i was put on night duty for four months. the shifts range between 2 to 3 nights which has really decreased my supply. but tomorrow will be my last night duty.

    When i am at home i breast feed her as often as she wants.

    Kindly advise on how to increase my supply.

    Thank you.

    Reply

    • Reach out to a local IBCLC who can help you come up with a plan specific to your body and baby’s needs.

      Reply

  11. I liked it

    Reply

  12. We chose the name Norah because it came up at a dinner party and we love Norah Jones’s music. After looking up the meaning of the name, we loved it even more. Norah means “light” and as our second baby, we loved the idea of her bringing more light to our family.

    Reply

  13. We found the name Norah about 3 weeks before I was due. We had culled through thousands of names it seems like, including Nora, but hadn’t found one we both liked. We were using a website that flashed names one after the other (tinder-esq i guess) just to get ideas, when we came across Norah. Like I said before, we had seen Nora before, even had a friend name her baby Nora about two months before us, but Norah felt like a completely different name to us. Funny to think how a simple addition of an extra letter really changed the name for us.

    Reply

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