What does Zora mean?
Zora means “dawn” or “daybreak” in the Slavic languages.
What does Nadya mean?
A Slavic short form of Russian Nadezhda ('hope'), from the Old Slavic word for hope. Used both as a nickname and an independent name.
Zora vs Nadya
Which is more popular?
Zora is more popular than Nadya today: about 264 US babies were given the name Zora in 2025, compared with 0 named Nadya.
| Zora | Nadya | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Dawn | hope |
| Origin | Slavic | slavic |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | ZOR-ah | NAHD-yah |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2019 (353) | 2006 (115) |
| In 2025 | 264 | 0 |
| Trend | Rising | Declining |
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Zora
Nadya
Source: US Social Security Administration.
Births by decade
| Decade | Zora | Nadya |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,845 | 190 |
| 2010s | 1,662 | 625 |
| 2000s | 877 | 951 |
| 1990s | 176 | 421 |
| 1980s | 63 | 226 |
| 1970s | 93 | 118 |
| 1960s | 132 | 47 |
| 1950s | 290 | 28 |
| 1940s | 435 | 31 |
| 1930s | 651 | 5 |
| 1920s | 1,103 | 0 |
| 1910s | 1,155 | 5 |
| 1900s | 679 | 0 |
| 1890s | 626 | 0 |
| 1880s | 415 | 0 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Zora or Nadya more popular?
Zora is more popular than Nadya today: about 264 US babies were given the name Zora in 2025, compared with 0 named Nadya.
What is the difference between Zora and Nadya?
Zora means Dawn (Slavic origin), while Nadya means hope (slavic origin).
Which name is older, Zora or Nadya?
In US records, Zora first appears in 1880 and Nadya in 0, so Nadya has the longer recorded history.