| Ciara | Nora | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | dark, black-haired | Honour; light |
| Origin | irish | Irish |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | KEER-ah | NOR-uh |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1972 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2005 (2,325) | 2025 (6,380) |
| In 2025 | 155 | 6,380 |
| Trend | Declining | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Ciara | Nora |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,089 | 36,567 |
| 2010s | 3,996 | 44,076 |
| 2000s | 12,046 | 10,922 |
| 1990s | 13,068 | 5,532 |
| 1980s | 4,445 | 5,532 |
| 1970s | 232 | 5,770 |
| 1960s | 0 | 9,521 |
| 1950s | 0 | 11,540 |
| 1940s | 0 | 9,405 |
| 1930s | 0 | 8,926 |
| 1920s | 0 | 12,298 |
| 1910s | 0 | 11,063 |
| 1900s | 0 | 7,172 |
| 1890s | 0 | 8,293 |
| 1880s | 0 | 6,521 |
Feminine form of the Irish name Ciar/Ciaran, from Old Irish 'ciar' meaning 'black, dark'. Traditionally understood as 'dark-haired' or 'dark complexioned' rather than anything sinister.
Nora is a short form of names such as Eleanor and Honora (from the Latin honor). Long popular in Ireland, it has become a widespread vintage revival.
Nora is more popular than Ciara today: about 6,380 US babies were given the name Nora in 2025, compared with 155 named Ciara.
Ciara means dark, black-haired (irish origin), while Nora means Honour; light (Irish origin).
In US records, Ciara first appears in 1972 and Nora in 1880, so Nora has the longer recorded history.