Zora
Meaningdawn · Slavic
- US rank
- #968
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #257 in 1884
264 babies were named Zora in the US in 2025. It has dropped 95 places in five years.
Found on lists
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million girls, 1880–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Zora you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Zora
Zora Neale Hurston
African American folklorist, novelist, short story writer, and Civic Rights advocate (1891–1960)
Choose Zora and your child shares a first name with Zora Neale Hurston, an African American folklorist, novelist, short story writer, and Civic Rights advocate. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Zora, like who?” Zora Neale Hurston's Wikipedia article is available in 66 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Zora Neale Hurston on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Carl Van Vechten, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 6,086 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Zora, 264 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Zora would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryZora has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Zoras, and counting.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 1884, when it ranked #257. Today it's #968, so it could be due a comeback.
- Then vs nowZora is 9.3× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 56,818 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 6,086.
- TrendZora has slipped 95 places over the last five years and now sits at #968. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- Where it's lovedZora is most popular in Washington, D.C., where it ranks #73, followed by Maryland (#459) and Oregon (#483). It's in the top 1,000 in 13 states.
- MeaningIn Slavic, Zora means “dawn”. Our records link it to Russian and Slavic roots.
About the name Zora
Zora is a girl name of Russian and Slavic origin meaning “dawn”. It has 4 letters and 2 syllables, starting with Z and ending in “-ora”. US birth records list Zora for girls from 1880 to 2025, in 142 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1884, when it ranked #257 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #968, with 264 babies.
Origin:Russian namesSlavic names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 316 | 3,163 girls |
| 1890s | 283 | 3,530 girls |
| 1900s | 234 | 4,274 girls |
| 1910s | 148 | 6,755 girls |
| 1920s | 92 | 10,880 girls |
| 1930s | 61 | 16,399 girls |
| 1940s | 31 | 32,185 girls |
| 1950s | 15 | 65,488 girls |
| 1960s | 7.2 | 139,470 girls |
| 1970s | 6.1 | 163,934 girls |
| 1980s | 3.7 | 273,224 girls |
| 1990s | 9.9 | 101,523 girls |
| 2000s | 47 | 21,146 girls |
| 2010s | 96 | 10,436 girls |
| 2020s | 190 | 5,276 girls |
Other spellings of Zora
More Russian girl names
- Girl name: Valentina · strong, healthy
- Girl name: Mila · gracious, dear
- Girl name: Maya · illusion
- Girl name: Natalia · Christmas Day
- Girl name: Vera · faith
- Unisex name: Alexis · defender
- Girl name: Ivanna · God is gracious
- Unisex name: Sasha · defender of men
Questions about the name Zora
What does the name Zora mean?
Zora means “dawn” in Slavic.
What is the origin of the name Zora?
Zora has Russian, Slavic roots in our records. Other Russian names include Valentina, Mila, Maya.
Is Zora a boy or girl name?
Zora is a girl name, though a few boys get it too.
How popular is the name Zora?
Zora ranked #968 for US girls in 2025, given to 264 babies. Its best year was 1884 (#257).