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Medora
Pronounced muh-DOR-uh /məˈdɔː.ɹə/High
Meaning: The name of the heroine of Lord Byron's narrative poem The Corsair, apparently coined or adapted by Byron; it echoes Greek names built on the element medon, 'ruler, guardian.' A town in North Dakota is also named Medora.Low
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Medora entered English through Lord Byron's narrative poem The Corsair, whose heroine bears the name; the poem was a sensation on publication and carried Medora into nineteenth-century use. Byron seems to have coined or adapted it, and it echoes Greek names built on medon, 'ruler, guardian,' though no direct source is documented. The town of Medora in North Dakota, founded in the eighteen-eighties, takes the name too. We give the literary route honestly and leave the etymology open (said 'muh-DOR-uh').
It appears only in very small numbers in the U.S. Rare, literary, and romantic.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Medora mean?
Medora comes from Lord Byron's poem The Corsair; the underlying etymology is not documented, which we note honestly.
How do you pronounce Medora?
It's said muh-DOR-uh /məˈdɔː.ɹə/ - three syllables, stress on the second.
Is Medora a boy or girl name?
Medora is used as a girl's name.
How popular is Medora?
Medora is extremely rare in the U.S.