Fun Facts About the Name Munira
- 727 babies named Munira: U.S. records list 727 babies given the name Munira from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Munira Mean?
Munira is a feminine Arabic name meaning "light-giving" or "illuminating," built on the Arabic root n-w-r. The basic noun in that root is nūr (نور), "light." From the same root comes the masculine participle munīr (منير), "one who gives light, illuminating," and Munira (منيرة) is its feminine form, created by adding the feminine ending -a. The Arabic pattern mu-…-ī- marks the person who performs the action, so the literal sense is "she who illuminates" or "the one who gives light." The common English glosses "radiant" and "luminous" are customary interpretations of that literal idea rather than a separate etymology.
The name is spelled in English in several ways, including Munira, Mounira, and Monira, reflecting different transliterations of the same Arabic word. It shares its root with names such as Nur, Nura, and Munir, but those are distinct names with their own forms.
Munira Name History & Origins
Munira comes from ordinary Arabic vocabulary rather than from a borrowed or adapted foreign word, and it belongs to the long-standing Arabic practice of naming girls with words formed from the n-w-r root. It is used throughout the Arabic-speaking world and, through the spread of Islam and Arabic naming customs, in Iran, Turkey, South Asia, and parts of East Africa. In Persian and Turkish usage the name appears as Monira and Münire, local adaptations of the Arabic form.
Among documented bearers, the Egyptian singer and stage actress Mounira El Mahdeya (1885 - 1965) was one of the first women to win wide fame in Egyptian theater and music. The Turkish form Münire was also used in the Ottoman ruling family in the nineteenth century. Because the name is common across a wide region that does not keep continuous public records of ordinary people, the earliest surviving examples of its use are difficult to pin down precisely.
How Popular is the Name Munira?
Munira has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2019. Its best rank was #3,592 in 2019.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #4,838 | 28 | 0.0017% |
| 2024 | #4,251 | 34 | 0.0021% |
| 2023 | #4,162 | 35 | 0.0022% |
| 2022 | #5,423 | 24 | 0.0015% |
| 2021 | #3,853 | 39 | 0.0024% |
| 2020 | #3,889 | 37 | 0.0023% |
| 2019 | #3,592 | 43 | 0.0026% |
| 2018 | #4,424 | 32 | 0.0019% |
| 2017 | #5,141 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 2016 | #4,806 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 2015 | #4,045 | 37 | 0.0021% |
| 2014 | #4,238 | 35 | 0.0020% |
| 2013 | #6,646 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2012 | #7,369 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2011 | #6,082 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 2010 | #7,129 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2009 | #5,839 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 2008 | #6,082 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 2007 | #5,642 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 2006 | #6,764 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2005 | #5,729 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 2004 | #6,684 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2003 | #8,336 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2002 | #10,016 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2001 | #8,054 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2000 | #6,707 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1999 | #10,069 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1998 | #6,596 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1996 | #11,395 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1995 | #12,832 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1994 | #14,965 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1993 | #11,374 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1988 | #11,296 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1987 | #10,786 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1981 | #7,882 | 8 | 0.0005% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore More Lists with Name Munira
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with M
How the Name Munira Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have psychic power. You can carry on for others with joy. You have a receptive nature and may bear burdens for others. You are pragmatic, thorough, strong-willed, practical and stubborn at times. You are hard working, often martyr to duty. You like home and security above all. Emergencies may raise your intuitive abilities in order to resolve conflict or situation. You become very creative under the pressure, and have quite original ideas to make the best out of it.
Dependable, very down-to-earth and well grounded, you are always looking for meaningful work, a career where you can take pride in your work and do the best job you are capable of. Your prime desire is to build protected and secure environment at home and at work. You can be very persuasive in achieving goals and gaining objectives. You can be very detailed and well-organized and possess great organizational skills. At times you may appear too stubborn and overly critical to others, but your practical approach to life and productivity makes you one of the most beneficent members of community.
✦ Munira's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Munira's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.