Total births
39,278
Unisex name · since 1880
Ora
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 39,278 babies named Ora, peaking in 1919. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #3395
- among girls today
- 39,278
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 81%
- more common than other girls
Ora currently ranks #3395 among unisex names in America, with 39,278 babies recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ora has been recorded 39,278 times among girls since 1880, currently ranked #3395 nationally and more common than 81% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #3395 among girls today
- 39,278 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 81% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Ora is currently the #3395 unisex name in America, more common than 81% of girls - 39,278 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #3395
- among girls today
- 39,278
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 81%
- more common than other girls
Ora vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#3395
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 81% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Ora was born in this single decade.
1919
Single peak year
920 babies were named Ora in 1919 - its busiest year on record.
How Ora compares
39,278 Top 4% higher than 96% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Ora's all-time total is 103x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ora | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 39,278 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 920 | 48 | 19,840 |
Ora's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Ora's full recorded timeline at 1953, 10% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 90% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1990, with just 10 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1919 peak of 920 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Ora at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1919
Current rank
#3,395
Active since
1880
Ora popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1919)
- 920
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Ora popularity over time - boys
5,616 total births recorded since 1880 (Ora as boys' name)
Ora by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Ora's strongest decade.
7,876 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Ora births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 2,391
1880s
2,391 births
- 1890s
1890s
3,876 births
- 1900s
1900s
4,262 births
- 1910s
1910s
7,259 births
- 1920s
1920s
7,876 births
- 1930s
1930s
5,116 births
- 1940s
1940s
3,653 births
- 1950s 2,291
1950s
2,291 births
- 1960s 998
1960s
998 births
- 1970s 436
1970s
436 births
- 1980s 293
1980s
293 births
- 1990s 157
1990s
157 births
- 2000s 149
2000s
149 births
- 2010s 277
2010s
277 births
- 2020s 244
2020s
244 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 7,876 births (20% of all-time use).
How Ora compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Ora's total volume
Ora vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Ora by state
Where Ora concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Mississippi | | 3,380 | 8.6% |
| #2 | Texas | | 3,035 | 7.7% |
| #3 | Alabama | | 2,229 | 5.7% |
| #4 | Louisiana | | 1,721 | 4.4% |
| #5 | Arkansas | | 1,673 | 4.3% |
| #6 | Tennessee | | 1,596 | 4.1% |
| #7 | Georgia | | 1,547 | 3.9% |
| #8 | Kentucky | | 1,395 | 3.6% |
Mississippi share of Ora's total US births 8.6%
Even split
3,380 of 39,278 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 40 reporting states.
Ora appears in 40 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ora? ▼
Ora has been given to 39,278 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #3395 as of the latest data. 920 babies were born in 1919, its single highest year.
When was Ora most popular? ▼
Ora was most popular in the 1920s decade with 7,876 total births. The single peak year was 1919.
Where is Ora most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ora are Mississippi (3,380 births), Texas (3,035 births), Alabama (2,229 births).
Is Ora a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Ora is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 39,278 births, and as a boy's name it has 5,616 births.
How long has the name Ora been used? ▼
Ora has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Ora? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Oralia, Oralee, Oral, Orah, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Ora's data
- Ora's decade-level peak was the 1920s (7,876 total births); usage has since declined to 244 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Mississippi records the most Oras (3,380 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Mississippi names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Ora
Nearby Names Like Ora
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ora
Oralia Girl
#13565 5,758 births
Oralee Girl
662 births
Oral Girl
506 births
Orah Girl
#10290 291 births
Orabelle Girl
103 births
Compare Ora side by side: Ora vs Oralia Ora vs Oralee Ora vs Oral
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ora
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ora: #3395 Unisex Name - 39,278 Births, Peak 1919." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ora. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Ora draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.