Given name
Audra
“noble”·“strength”
Audra is a variant of Audrey. The Old English elements mean “noble” and “strength.” The later connection with tawdry concerns the name’s cultural history, not its original meaning.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Audra is a variant of Audrey. The Old English elements mean “noble” and “strength.” The later connection with tawdry concerns the name’s cultural history, not its original meaning.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Audra is a variant of Audrey. Audrey is an English development of the Old English feminine name Æðelþryð, also known in Latinized form as Etheldreda.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
Audra is a variant of Audrey. The shared background comes through Audrey: Audrey shortens Æðelþryð, built from æðel, “noble,” and þryð, “strength.” A separate word-history developed when Saint Audrey was divided differently in speech, producing tawdry for goods associated with fairs held in her name.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1887. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Audra is a variant of Audrey. The history of Audrey gives this family its wider story. Saint Audrey, or Etheldreda, was widely venerated in the Middle Ages. Lace and other fairground goods associated with her name contributed to the word tawdry, an association that later affected the name’s reputation. Shakespeare used Audrey for Touchstone’s sweetheart in As You Like It.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Audra through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 25,783
- 193 boys · 25,590 girls
- Most popular year
- 1967
- 1,158 babies
- 2025
- 95
- #2,003 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −30%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 95 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 2,003 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 30.3% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 1,153 in 1967. In 2025, Florida and Texas shared the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (6 each). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 20,405 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
People named Audra
- Audra McDonaldAmerican actress and singer (born 1970)
- Audra LindleyAmerican actress (1918-1997)
- Audra MaeAmerican singerborn 1984
- Audra CohenUS tennis playerborn 1986
- Audra PlepytėLithuanian diplomatborn 1971
- Audra LynnAmerican model and actressborn 1980
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Audra, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Audria
“noble” · “strength”
>99% girls
Sandie
“helper and defender of mankind” · “refers to Saint James”
>99% girls
Sandi
“one who is enlightened” · “refers to Saint James”
>99% girls
Audrée
“noble” · “strength”
>99% girls
Audriza
“noble” · “strength”
—
Audrissa
“noble” · “strength”
—
Audrysa
“noble” · “strength”
—
Audriz
“noble” · “strength”
—