| Keira | Nora | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | dark, black-haired | Honour; light |
| Origin | irish | Irish |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | KEER-ah | NOR-uh |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2006 (3,022) | 2025 (6,380) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 6,380 |
| Trend | Declining | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Keira | Nora |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 3,391 | 36,567 |
| 2010s | 13,440 | 44,076 |
| 2000s | 14,520 | 10,922 |
| 1990s | 1,390 | 5,532 |
| 1980s | 637 | 5,532 |
| 1970s | 359 | 5,770 |
| 1960s | 99 | 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 |
Anglicized spelling of the Irish Ciara, derived from Old Irish 'ciar' meaning 'black, dark'. Same root as Ciaran/Kieran; refers to dark hair or complexion.
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 Keira today: about 6,380 US babies were given the name Nora in 2025, compared with 0 named Keira.
Keira means dark, black-haired (irish origin), while Nora means Honour; light (Irish origin).
In US records, Keira first appears in 0 and Nora in 1880, so Keira has the longer recorded history.