Nor

♀ Girl

Pronounced NOR /ˈnɔːr/Medium

Meaning: In Malay and Indonesian use, Nor is the common spelling of Arabic Nur, 'light' — very widely used as a first element in Malay women's names. In English-speaking families it may instead be a short form of Nora or Norah. Both routes are real; we give them honestly.Low

In 30 seconds: Nor is the Malay spelling of Arabic Nur, 'light' — and, separately, a short form of Nora (said 'NOR').

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Origin LowMalay, English, Arabic

MeaningIn Malay and Indonesian use, Nor is the common spelling of Arabic Nur, 'light' — very widely used as a first element in Malay women's names. In English-speaking families it may instead be a short form of Nora or Norah. Both routes are real; we give them honestly.

U.S. rank (2024)#14763 ↘ Falling

2024 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year2016

Total births (all-time)≈ 34

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

Nor has two honest routes. In Malay and Indonesian naming it is the everyday spelling of the Arabic Nur, 'light', and it opens a great many Malay women's names — Nor Aini, Nor Hayati and so on. In English-speaking families it can instead be a trim short form of Nora or Norah. One clean beat either way (said 'NOR').

In the U.S. it appears only very rarely. Very rare here, extremely common in Malaysia.

Did you know? In Malaysia, Nor opens hundreds of thousands of women's names — it is the local spelling of Nur, 'light', and it acts almost as a prefix of blessing.

Overall data confidence 42%

References — Nor — Malay spelling of Arabic Nur 'light'; also short form of Nora

Variations

NurNoorNora

Nicknames

NoriNono

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Nor…

Nora— the English name it can shorten

Noor— the Arabic 'light' name behind it

Nur— the standard Arabic spelling

Maren— a like short northern pick

Explore names like Nor

By themeshort light malay arabic-root

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Nor mean?

In Malay use Nor is the spelling of Arabic Nur, 'light'. In English families it may instead be a short form of Nora. Both routes are real.

How do you pronounce Nor?

It's said NOR /ˈnɔːr/ — one syllable.

Is Nor a boy or girl name?

Nor is used as a girl's name; in Malaysia it is a very common opening element in women's names.

How popular is Nor?

Nor is very rare in the U.S. but extremely common in Malaysia.