| Nora | Ciara | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Honour; light | dark, black-haired |
| Origin | Irish | irish |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | NOR-uh | KEER-ah |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1972 |
| Peak year | 2025 (6,380) | 2005 (2,325) |
| In 2025 | 6,380 | 155 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Nora | Ciara |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 36,567 | 1,089 |
| 2010s | 44,076 | 3,996 |
| 2000s | 10,922 | 12,046 |
| 1990s | 5,532 | 13,068 |
| 1980s | 5,532 | 4,445 |
| 1970s | 5,770 | 232 |
| 1960s | 9,521 | 0 |
| 1950s | 11,540 | 0 |
| 1940s | 9,405 | 0 |
| 1930s | 8,926 | 0 |
| 1920s | 12,298 | 0 |
| 1910s | 11,063 | 0 |
| 1900s | 7,172 | 0 |
| 1890s | 8,293 | 0 |
| 1880s | 6,521 | 0 |
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.
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 more popular than Ciara today: about 6,380 US babies were given the name Nora in 2025, compared with 155 named Ciara.
Nora means Honour; light (Irish origin), while Ciara means dark, black-haired (irish origin).
In US records, Nora first appears in 1880 and Ciara in 1972, so Nora has the longer recorded history.