unisex name
Ora
OR-uh
- Origin Latin
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 2
- Letters 3
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 45,415
Ora has three unrelated sources — the Latin imperative meaning pray, the Hebrew for light, and an Albanian word for hour — and our data marks it reviving across three markets. A fourth line simply shortens Aurora or Cora.
- Ora is a name of Latin origin.
- Peaked in 1919, when 1,078 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- Today about 1 in 82,884 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Ora over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 3,011 |
| 1890s | 4,312 |
| 1900s | 4,642 |
| 1910s | 8,307 |
| 1920s | 9,070 |
| 1930s | 5,809 |
| 1940s | 4,124 |
| 1950s | 2,594 |
| 1960s | 1,183 |
| 1970s | 560 |
| 1980s | 383 |
| 1990s | 180 |
| 2000s | 166 |
| 2010s | 304 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 249 |
What Ora means
Ora means pray from the Latin, light from the Hebrew, or an hour from the Albanian. The three are independent, and nothing in the spelling distinguishes them.
Where Ora comes from
Ora has at least three origins. The Latin ora is the imperative of orare, to pray, familiar from ora pro nobis, pray for us. The Hebrew ora means light and is a feminine of Or. The Albanian orë means an hour and also names a guardian spirit in folklore. A fourth line simply shortens Aurora or Cora. None of the four derives from the others.
Ora in use
Ora peaked in the United States in 1919, when 1,078 babies were registered, and our data marks it reviving. It now ranks 1209th in France on 30 births, 3541st in England and Wales on 7 and 3744th in the United States on 40, across 45,415 lifetime births in three of the seven markets we track. France set its own peak of 35 births in 2024, and about 88 percent of recorded births are female.
How popular is Ora?
In 2025, Ora was given to 40 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Ora is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Ora
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Ora also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Ora over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Ora in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Ora
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Ora — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Ora
What does the name Ora mean?
Pray in Latin, light in Hebrew, or an hour in Albanian — three unrelated sources.
What is ora pro nobis?
Pray for us — the Latin imperative that gives one of the readings.
Is Aurora related?
Ora also serves as a short form of Aurora and Cora, which is a fourth route.
Is Ora coming back?
Our data marks it reviving, with France setting its own peak in 2024.
How popular is the name Ora?
In 2025, Ora was given to 40 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Ora a girl's or a boy's name?
Ora is used for both girls and boys. About 88% of recorded births with this name are girls.
How many syllables are in Ora?
Ora has 2 syllables.
When was Ora most popular?
Ora peaked in 1919, when 1,078 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
Is Ora a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Ora currently ranks #1,209 in the United States. After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.