Zora

Zora - A very unique female name

Zora appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #602. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Zora and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Zora? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Zora. The baby girl name Zora was given to 206 baby girls in 2025, ranking #992 on the national girl baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 6,328 baby girls were given this name - making this a very unique female name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Zora peaked in popularity 111 years ago in 1915 on position 459.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Zora, 1-5?

Zora is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Zora is currently topping the baby name charts in District of Columbia at position #92 - and is the least popular in North Carolina at position #1,280.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Zora is where you live.

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Zora origin and meaning

Slavic

'Dawn' — zora is the word for dawn and the morning glow in several Slavic languages

Zora is the Slavic word for dawn, personified in Slavic tradition as a goddess of the morning. In America it was a quiet early-1900s name, vanished for long stretches, then returned — author Zora Neale Hurston gives it literary greatness. It peaked most recently in 2019 and has been easing since, one of the distinctive Z names of the vintage revival.

Attested etymology

Zora is a 4 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Zora, pop culture references for the name Zora and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Zora

We've found the following names that sound similar to Zora, sorted by popularity.

Zara / Zuri / Zariah / Zaria / Zahra / Zariyah / Zaira / Zahara / Zarah / Zhuri /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Zora

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Zora a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique female name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Zora?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

ZOR-uh · /ˈzɔːrə/

Around the world

• Zora (Croatian) — Used as-is, the word for dawn
• Zora (Czech) — Used as-is in Czech and Slovak
• Zora (Serbian) — Used as-is in Serbian

Spellings and nicknames

• Zorah — A spelling with a biblical-looking final h

Famous bearers

• Zora Neale Hurston — American author and anthropologist, central figure of the Harlem Renaissance (1891–1960) Historical

Style

InternationalNatureLiterary

Why parents choose it

Parents choose dawn itself as a meaning — hopeful, literary, and still genuinely rare.

Worth knowing

• It sits close to Zara, Zora, and Sora — the Z/S cluster of similar names can blur.