Fun Facts About the Name Nura
- 904 babies named Nura: U.S. records list 904 babies given the name Nura from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Nura Mean?
Nura is a feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "light." It comes from the Arabic word nūr (نور), "light," with the feminine ending -a, giving nūra (نورة). The same root, n-w-r, forms related words such as manār, "lighthouse," and anwār, "lights."
A second Arabic word spelled the same way, nawra (نورة), means "blossom." Because Arabic writing usually omits short vowels, the name on the page can be read either way, and some explanations therefore tie Nura to flowers instead of light. The light derivation is the customary one, but the exact vocalization of the name is not always certain.
Nura is often written in Latin letters as Noura or Noora. The similar-looking Finnish Noora and English Norah have a different source: they come from the European name Nora, a short form of Eleanora or Honora. Syriac and Jewish Babylonian Aramaic nūrā, meaning "fire," is likewise a separate word, not the origin of the Arabic name.
Nura Name History & Origins
Names formed from nūr are common in Arabic because light is a charged image in Islamic thought. The Qur'an's twenty-fourth chapter is called Sūrat al-Nūr, and verse 24:35, the "Light Verse," speaks of God as the light of the heavens and the earth. The feminine nūra has been used as a personal name in Arabic-speaking regions for centuries, alongside the masculine Nūr and other derivatives such as Munīra and Nūr al-Hudā.
As Arabic and Islam spread, the name traveled with them. Turkish uses Nur for both men and women, with Nura as a feminine form. In the Balkans, particularly Bosnia and Albania, Nura took root during and after the centuries of Ottoman rule. The name also reached South Asia, Malaysia, and Indonesia through Muslim trade and settlement.
In the modern Gulf, the name is well established; Princess Noura bint Abdul Rahman, a sister of King Abdulaziz, is remembered in the name of Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh. Because the name passes through many languages, its Latin spellings vary - Nura, Noura, Noora, Norah - according to local pronunciation and transliteration convention.
How Popular is the Name Nura?
Nura 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 #2,914 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 | #3,238 | 49 | 0.0030% |
| 2024 | #3,200 | 50 | 0.0031% |
| 2023 | #3,893 | 39 | 0.0024% |
| 2022 | #3,110 | 53 | 0.0032% |
| 2021 | #3,097 | 53 | 0.0032% |
| 2020 | #3,436 | 45 | 0.0028% |
| 2019 | #2,914 | 57 | 0.0034% |
| 2018 | #3,093 | 53 | 0.0031% |
| 2017 | #3,977 | 38 | 0.0022% |
| 2016 | #4,213 | 35 | 0.0020% |
| 2015 | #4,685 | 30 | 0.0017% |
| 2014 | #4,429 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 2013 | #7,656 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2012 | #5,677 | 24 | 0.0014% |
| 2011 | #7,700 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2010 | #6,835 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2009 | #8,769 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2008 | #7,324 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2007 | #7,328 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2006 | #9,135 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2005 | #6,183 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2004 | #9,133 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2003 | #8,355 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2002 | #7,344 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2001 | #9,203 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2000 | #12,785 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1999 | #16,169 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #6,986 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1997 | #9,601 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1996 | #13,000 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1995 | #6,517 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1994 | #9,379 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1992 | #8,539 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1991 | #5,589 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1989 | #8,535 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1988 | #8,180 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1987 | #6,641 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1985 | #6,797 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1984 | #9,982 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1983 | #7,110 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1982 | #10,081 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1981 | #7,201 | 9 | 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.
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How the Name Nura 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.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Nura's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Nura's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.