Fun Facts About the Name Nur
- 863 babies named Nur: U.S. records list 863 babies given the name Nur from 1880 through 2025. Even 216 boys received the name Nur - about 1 boy for every 3 girls.
What Does the Name Nur Mean?
Nur means "light" and comes from the Arabic noun nūr (نور), built on the root n-w-r, which also underlies words such as munīr ("illuminating") and manāra ("lighthouse, minaret"). In Islamic usage the word carries both a plain sense of physical light and a religious sense of guidance: an-Nūr, "the Light," is one of the traditional names of God, and Sūrat an-Nūr, the 24th chapter of the Quran, takes its title from the word.
Nur is one common English spelling of the Arabic name; Noor and Nour render the same word. Compound names are made by joining nūr to another Arabic element, as in Nur al-Din ("light of the religion"), and the Southeast Asian form Nurul stands for nūr al-, "light of."
Within Israel and the Levant the name is also current among Arabic speakers. It is a different word from the Hebrew or (אור, "light") and ner (נר, "lamp"), and it is not the same name as the Israeli feminine name Nurit, the Hebrew word for the buttercup flower.
Nur Name History & Origins
Because the Quran and the spread of Arabic made nūr a familiar word across the Muslim world, Nur became a name element in Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Urdu, Malay, Indonesian, Kurdish, and Balkan Muslim naming. Medieval bearers are best documented through compound titles: the Zengid ruler Nur al-Din Mahmud (1118 - 1174), whose name means "light of the religion," and the Mughal empress Nur Jahan ("light of the world," 1577 - 1645), wife of the emperor Jahangir. In the Ottoman court, Nurbanu Sultan, mother of Murad III, bore a name combining nūr with the title banu, "lady."
As a plain given name, Nur is used in Arabic-speaking countries for both men and women, while compounds such as Nur al-Din are typically male. In Turkish, Persian, and Kurdish use the bare name is usually feminine. In Malay and Indonesian naming it is most often a girl's name and frequently the first part of a compound, as in Nur Aisyah or Nurul Aini, where Nurul represents the Arabic nūr al-, "light of."
The same Arabic name appears in English as Noor and Nour, and it is also borne by Arabic-speaking citizens of Israel. The Hebrew names built on the words or ("light") and ner ("lamp"), and the Israeli name Nurit, developed separately and should not be treated as versions of Nur.
How Popular is the Name Nur?
Nur 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 2023. Its best rank was #3,165 in 2023.
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 | #4,247 | 34 | 0.0021% |
| 2024 | #4,728 | 29 | 0.0018% |
| 2023 | #3,165 | 52 | 0.0032% |
| 2022 | #4,017 | 37 | 0.0023% |
| 2021 | #4,479 | 31 | 0.0019% |
| 2020 | #4,624 | 29 | 0.0018% |
| 2019 | #6,125 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 2018 | #4,320 | 33 | 0.0019% |
| 2017 | #5,777 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 2016 | #6,353 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2015 | #9,344 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2014 | #8,379 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2013 | #18,557 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2012 | #11,985 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2011 | #14,444 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2010 | #12,006 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2009 | #10,475 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2008 | #11,384 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2007 | #7,653 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2006 | #9,745 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2005 | #7,806 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2004 | #7,306 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2003 | #10,231 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2002 | #9,316 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2001 | #6,543 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2000 | #7,061 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1999 | #7,596 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1998 | #7,417 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1997 | #6,723 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1996 | #5,463 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1995 | #5,616 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1994 | #7,462 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1993 | #10,281 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1992 | #10,187 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1991 | #7,273 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1990 | #7,175 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1989 | #7,867 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1987 | #9,500 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1986 | #10,478 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5,776 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2024 | #8,753 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2023 | #7,609 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2022 | #11,899 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2021 | #7,994 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2020 | #10,286 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2019 | #9,499 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2018 | #7,473 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2017 | #5,991 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2016 | #7,023 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2015 | #6,583 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2014 | #10,420 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2013 | #11,761 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2012 | #11,850 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2010 | #13,711 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #7,116 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2008 | #12,146 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2007 | #13,846 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 2006 | #9,327 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2004 | #10,942 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2003 | #8,402 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2002 | #8,230 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1997 | #10,344 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #8,693 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1989 | #8,865 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1981 | #6,987 | 5 | 0.0003% |
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.
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How the Name Nur Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have a vivid imagination who can bring inspired messages to the world. You like to enjoy the pleasures of life, and when self is overcome, you can rise to the heights. You have an ability to avoid trouble - that is why you often fails to learn from experiences. You are restless, sociable people-oriented, a lover of change, and a seeker of adventure and new thrills. 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.
Position and social status is very important for you and you are always looking for way to improve your position in society. You have power and ability to chose your own destiny and achieve anything you want in life. You can expand in any direction according to your will and the set of values. You have passion for justice and belong to the position of authority. You have an inherent courage and endurance to accomplish "The Impossible Dream". With the power comes responsibility. You hold keys to the material world, but with this gift comes high spiritual responsibility to be fair and true to others. You are philosophical and mature, determined and intense with a desire to endure, often religious.
✦ Nur's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Nur's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.