Given name & surname
Ora
“one who prays to God”
Ora is used as a given name and a surname. One Latin interpretation is “one who prays to God.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Latin interpretation is “one who prays to God.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Latin.
How it developed
In English usage, Ora is a diminutive of Aurelia.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Ora through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 44,894
- 5,616 boys · 39,278 girls
- Most popular year
- 1919
- 1,078 babies
- 2025
- 40
- #3,760 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +13%
- Rising
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 5% boys.
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 40 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 3,760 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 20.0% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 920 in 1919. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 8,368 as a first name in 2020; 223 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Ora’s family of names
In English usage, Ora is a diminutive of Aurelia. Ora has a related form in Orit. Ora has a related form in Orah.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 6
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Ora
- Ora NamirIsraeli diplomat (1930-2019)
- Ora CarewAmerican actress (1893–1955)
- Ora KedemAustrian-Israeli chemist1924–2026
- Ora WashingtonAmerican tennis player (1898–1971)
- Ora AnlenIsraeli paralympic competitor1944–2022
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Ora, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Alta
“to be elevated”
>99% girls
Una
“one who is pure; chaste”
>99% girls
Alva
“one who has a fair complexion” · “a bright man”
24% boys · 76% girls
Zona
“a decorative sash; belt”
>99% girls
Neva
“from the place covered with snow”
>99% girls
Cornelia
“referring to a horn” · “refers to a horn”
>99% girls
Vita
“life”
>99% girls
Leta
“one who is glad; joyful; loved by all”
>99% girls