Leora
Leora was given to 163 girls in 2025, #1,356 among girls’ names; 12,125 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 4,910 Americans named Leora and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (41% of everyone recorded); the median is 35 years old and half are between 11 and 68.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Leora by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Leora mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Leora is “a female given name from Hebrew.” Its etymology gives the sense “my light” (ליאורה).
Possibly a variant of the modern Israeli name transliterated as Liora, from Hebrew, ליאורה “my light”, or an American contraction of Leonora.
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Leora?
#1,356 among girls’ names, 2025
Leora rose from #2,204 in 2015 to #1,356 in 2025 among girls’ names; its share of girls born rose from 0.05 to 0.10 per 1,000.
255 babies in 1921, the peak
Leora peaked in 1921, when 255 girls were given it, #426 among girls’ names. The 163 births of 2025 are 64% of that peak.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 163 | #1,356 | 0.10 |
| 2024 | 142 | #1,522 | 0.09 |
| 2023 | 134 | #1,579 | 0.08 |
| 2022 | 111 | #1,835 | 0.07 |
| 2021 | 118 | #1,745 | 0.07 |
| 2020 | 109 | #1,815 | 0.07 |
| 2019 | 82 | #2,245 | 0.05 |
| 2018 | 124 | #1,681 | 0.07 |
| 2017 | 106 | #1,912 | 0.06 |
| 2016 | 96 | #2,063 | 0.05 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 86 | #2,204 | 0.05 |
| 2014 | 82 | #2,281 | 0.05 |
| 2013 | 73 | #2,473 | 0.04 |
| 2012 | 71 | #2,556 | 0.04 |
| 2011 | 66 | #2,681 | 0.04 |
| 2010 | 76 | #2,468 | 0.04 |
| 2009 | 63 | #2,817 | 0.03 |
| 2008 | 51 | #3,297 | 0.03 |
| 2007 | 68 | #2,698 | 0.04 |
| 2006 | 53 | #3,157 | 0.03 |
| 2005 | 41 | #3,618 | 0.02 |
| 2004 | 55 | #2,907 | 0.03 |
| 2003 | 58 | #2,723 | 0.03 |
| 2002 | 45 | #3,176 | 0.03 |
| 2001 | 33 | #3,909 | 0.02 |
| 2000 | 56 | #2,652 | 0.03 |
| 1999 | 41 | #3,166 | 0.02 |
| 1998 | 50 | #2,711 | 0.03 |
| 1997 | 38 | #3,130 | 0.02 |
| 1996 | 32 | #3,536 | 0.02 |
| 1995 | 36 | #3,183 | 0.02 |
| 1994 | 38 | #3,062 | 0.02 |
| 1993 | 30 | #3,633 | 0.02 |
| 1992 | 37 | #3,110 | 0.02 |
| 1991 | 35 | #3,183 | 0.02 |
| 1990 | 42 | #2,769 | 0.02 |
| 1989 | 28 | #3,617 | 0.02 |
| 1988 | 35 | #2,950 | 0.02 |
| 1987 | 46 | #2,321 | 0.03 |
| 1986 | 36 | #2,699 | 0.02 |
| 1985 | 36 | #2,680 | 0.02 |
| 1984 | 32 | #2,820 | 0.02 |
| 1983 | 44 | #2,217 | 0.03 |
| 1982 | 33 | #2,803 | 0.02 |
| 1981 | 68 | #1,689 | 0.04 |
| 1980 | 44 | #2,265 | 0.03 |
| 1979 | 24 | #3,396 | 0.01 |
| 1978 | 40 | #2,289 | 0.03 |
| 1977 | 34 | #2,534 | 0.02 |
| 1976 | 31 | #2,578 | 0.02 |
| 1975 | 35 | #2,337 | 0.02 |
| 1974 | 30 | #2,531 | 0.02 |
| 1973 | 35 | #2,249 | 0.02 |
| 1972 | 32 | #2,337 | 0.02 |
| 1971 | 37 | #2,198 | 0.02 |
| 1970 | 34 | #2,287 | 0.02 |
| 1969 | 42 | #1,946 | 0.02 |
| 1968 | 33 | #2,110 | 0.02 |
| 1967 | 37 | #1,935 | 0.02 |
| 1966 | 36 | #1,937 | 0.02 |
| 1965 | 56 | #1,492 | 0.03 |
| 1964 | 48 | #1,680 | 0.03 |
| 1963 | 49 | #1,637 | 0.03 |
| 1962 | 56 | #1,502 | 0.03 |
| 1961 | 49 | #1,619 | 0.02 |
| 1960 | 62 | #1,396 | 0.03 |
| 1959 | 56 | #1,443 | 0.03 |
| 1958 | 63 | #1,337 | 0.03 |
| 1957 | 70 | #1,258 | 0.03 |
| 1956 | 65 | #1,293 | 0.03 |
| 1955 | 67 | #1,238 | 0.03 |
| 1954 | 47 | #1,474 | 0.02 |
| 1953 | 55 | #1,315 | 0.03 |
| 1952 | 71 | #1,122 | 0.04 |
| 1951 | 66 | #1,152 | 0.04 |
| 1950 | 88 | #963 | 0.05 |
| 1949 | 69 | #1,081 | 0.04 |
| 1948 | 68 | #1,077 | 0.04 |
| 1947 | 88 | #945 | 0.05 |
| 1946 | 74 | #973 | 0.05 |
| 1945 | 69 | #910 | 0.05 |
| 1944 | 85 | #827 | 0.06 |
| 1943 | 84 | #852 | 0.06 |
| 1942 | 107 | #723 | 0.08 |
| 1941 | 90 | #754 | 0.07 |
| 1940 | 94 | #719 | 0.08 |
| 1939 | 117 | #627 | 0.11 |
| 1938 | 120 | #627 | 0.11 |
| 1937 | 120 | #618 | 0.11 |
| 1936 | 120 | #602 | 0.12 |
| 1935 | 120 | #596 | 0.11 |
| 1934 | 122 | #593 | 0.12 |
| 1933 | 131 | #560 | 0.13 |
| 1932 | 146 | #538 | 0.14 |
| 1931 | 154 | #533 | 0.14 |
| 1930 | 154 | #550 | 0.14 |
| 1929 | 172 | #517 | 0.15 |
| 1928 | 171 | #535 | 0.15 |
| 1927 | 212 | #479 | 0.18 |
| 1926 | 211 | #478 | 0.18 |
| 1925 | 218 | #468 | 0.18 |
| 1924 | 252 | #439 | 0.20 |
| 1923 | 215 | #470 | 0.18 |
| 1922 | 245 | #425 | 0.20 |
| 1921 | 255 | #426 | 0.21 |
| 1920 | 214 | #463 | 0.18 |
| 1919 | 247 | #412 | 0.22 |
| 1918 | 235 | #433 | 0.20 |
| 1917 | 227 | #425 | 0.21 |
| 1916 | 243 | #403 | 0.23 |
| 1915 | 223 | #404 | 0.23 |
| 1914 | 162 | #420 | 0.21 |
| 1913 | 150 | #397 | 0.24 |
| 1912 | 134 | #399 | 0.24 |
| 1911 | 121 | #365 | 0.29 |
| 1910 | 104 | #389 | 0.26 |
| 1909 | 99 | #369 | 0.29 |
| 1908 | 81 | #405 | 0.24 |
| 1907 | 64 | #450 | 0.20 |
| 1906 | 88 | #357 | 0.30 |
| 1905 | 62 | #429 | 0.21 |
| 1904 | 85 | #355 | 0.31 |
| 1903 | 80 | #354 | 0.31 |
| 1902 | 69 | #380 | 0.26 |
| 1901 | 70 | #362 | 0.29 |
| 1900 | 71 | #394 | 0.24 |
| 1899 | 59 | #378 | 0.25 |
| 1898 | 58 | #407 | 0.22 |
| 1897 | 61 | #372 | 0.26 |
| 1896 | 49 | #414 | 0.21 |
| 1895 | 56 | #374 | 0.24 |
| 1894 | 62 | #353 | 0.28 |
| 1893 | 51 | #380 | 0.24 |
| 1892 | 47 | #388 | 0.22 |
| 1891 | 34 | #437 | 0.18 |
| 1890 | 51 | #359 | 0.27 |
| 1889 | 31 | #434 | 0.17 |
| 1888 | 40 | #383 | 0.22 |
| 1887 | 30 | #399 | 0.21 |
| 1886 | 33 | #374 | 0.23 |
| 1885 | 21 | #462 | 0.16 |
| 1884 | 26 | #393 | 0.20 |
| 1883 | 27 | #349 | 0.24 |
| 1882 | 29 | #332 | 0.27 |
| 1881 | 23 | #344 | 0.25 |
| 1880 | 28 | #301 | 0.31 |
Ranks and shares: girls’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all girls SSA recorded that year.
Is Leora a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Leora has been given almost only to girls: 6 boys in 146 years of records.
Girls and boys named Leora: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Leora, and how old are they?
4,910 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 41% of the 12,125 Americans ever recorded as Leora. The median Leora alive today is 35 years old; half are between 11 and 68.
The 2020 Census counted 4,545 people named Leora (4,535 women and girls, 10 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 4,795 born in the U.S. The Census count is 5% below that prediction.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 557 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 925 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 537 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 591 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 856 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 1,420 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Leora born?
The states with the most babies named Leora are New York, California and Ohio, with 32% of its births recorded by state since 1910.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, girls | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 906 | #718 | 1.0× |
| California | 537 | #1,624 | 0.7× |
| Ohio | 455 | #1,601 | 0.9× |
| Pennsylvania | 415 | #1,523 | 0.6× |
| Michigan | 328 | not ranked | 0.8× |
| Illinois | 320 | not ranked | 0.6× |
| Texas | 283 | #1,678 | 0.4× |
| Iowa | 218 | not ranked | 1.2× |
| Missouri | 193 | not ranked | 0.7× |
| Oklahoma | 187 | not ranked | 1.0× |
Where Leora is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Leora is most over-represented in Nebraska: since 1910 it was given 1.5 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among girls’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Leora with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 7 names spelled alike, given to 15,781 babies since 1880, Leora is the most given (77% of them). In 2025 it was given to 163 of their 206 babies (79%), again the most given.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Leora
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Leora and names like it
- Compare Leora and LeraBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1920sLeora peaked in 1921.
- New York’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Leora since 1910.
- Hebrew namesWiktionary’s origin for Leora: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 1921The year the most babies were named Leora.
- The names of Generation AlphaMost people named Leora alive today were born 2013-2025.
- Names starting with LMost given first.