A 1880s favorite, climbing again.
Popularity of Zora since 1880
Babies named Zora per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 2019, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Zora's real moment was 1884.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 415 |
| 1890s | 626 |
| 1900s | 679 |
| 1910s | 1,155 |
| 1920s | 1,103 |
| 1930s | 651 |
| 1940s | 435 |
| 1950s | 290 |
| 1960s | 132 |
| 1970s | 93 |
| 1980s | 63 |
| 1990s | 176 |
| 2000s | 877 |
| 2010s | 1,662 |
| 2020s | 1,845 |
Meaning & origin
Zora is a Slavic name meaning 'dawn', first recorded in US data in 1880. It saw its peak popularity in 1884, ranking 968th in 2025 with about 1 in 6,088 girls receiving the name. After a period of decline, it has been rising in usage since 1987, reflecting growing interest in concise, nature-inspired names. Zora is especially favored in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Oregon.
Zora is a Slavic name meaning 'dawn' or 'daybreak', derived from the word 'zora' found in many Slavic languages. It has been used as a given name in countries such as Serbia, Croatia, and Czechia, and gained some English usage in the 19th century.
Where Zora is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Zora” around the world
Where Zora lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
10
babies in 2024
Quebec
5
babies in 2025
Sources: INSEE (France) · Retraite Québec (Quebec).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Z, Zozo
Sibling names for Zora
Names that share Zora's style, for a brother or sister.
Sisters: Mila, Nina, Lena, Tara, Sonia, Vira, Ebonee, Mahalia, Nubia, Veta, Waneta, Zari, Zula, Zulma, Albena, Celie, Eureka, Opha, Rada, Rmani, Verba, Loeta, Oveta, Vesna, Zenda, Vielka, Maiza, Zennie, Zenola, Zilphia, Ziora, Zorana
Brothers: Milan, Ivan, Dario, Luka, Stefan, Langston, Alonza, Damir, Demetrus, Doss, Kamen, Treyon, Undra, Duwan, Kwane, Lazlo, Lonza, Sava, Zabian, Zannie, Kazmir, Aquan, Chijioke, Dekhari, Goran, Miroslav, Shaft, Taino, Vuk, Zakar, Zykeem
