Thora
A girl's name of Old Norse origin with 2,404 recorded U.S. births.
Meaning & Origin
A female given name from Old Norse occasionally borrowed from Scandinavia.
Thora is a girl's baby name of Old Norse origin, the feminine form of Thor — the Norse god of thunder, storms, and strength. From the Old Norse Þórr, Thora means 'thunder' or 'of Thor.' It was borne by several Norse queens and shield-maidens in the sagas.
Thora is experiencing a notable revival as Scandinavian-inspired names surge in popularity. It carries the power of the thunder god in a delicate, three-letter feminine form — a name that is simultaneously strong and graceful. Actress Thora Birch brought it American visibility in the 1990s and 2000s.
EtymologyShow more
The ending of a name often carries more etymological information than the beginning. Thora's final sounds are open, warm — a soft ending that crosses many language boundaries. In English-language naming, many feminine names end on open vowels or soft consonants, creating a melodic, approachable quality. Thora follows that feminine pattern.
Explore the ending-based name pages on this site to find names that share Thora's suffix pattern — names with similar endings often share a style and era, even when they come from different linguistic backgrounds.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
Thora climbed 6547 spots in the last 20 years — from #11542 to #4995.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Avg Rank | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 195 | #3976 | ▼ |
| 2010s | 228 | #6238 | ▲ |
| 2000s | 83 | #13338 | ▲ |
| 1990s | 12 | #14102 | ▲ |
| 1980s | 5 | #12172 | ▼ |
| 1970s | 35 | #9078 | ▼ |
| 1960s | 42 | #6648 | ▼ |
| 1950s | 101 | #4179 | ▼ |
| 1940s | 138 | #2795 | ▼ |
| 1930s | 204 | #1802 | ▼ |
| 1920s | 434 | #1213 | ▼ |
| 1910s | 519 | #835 | ▲ |
| 1900s | 201 | #847 | ▲ |
| 1890s | 160 | #803 | ▲ |
| 1880s | 47 | #967 | — |
The Story of Thora
A Greatest Generation name
Peaking in 1916, Thora is a name steeped in history. Girls named Thora are most likely born between 1906 and 1926.
How rare is Thora?
Only about 1 in every 133,333 babies born in 2024 was named Thora — a truly uncommon choice.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 1883, grew steadily over the decades, peaked in the 1910s with 519 births that decade, and has gracefully settled into a quieter chapter.
Thora by the numbers
- Would fill 50 school buses
- Meeting one Thora per day would take 6.6 years
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(117 years, 1883–2024)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 27 | #4995 |
| 2023 | 33 | #4351 |
| 2022 | 51 | #3209 |
| 2021 | 38 | #3931 |
| 2020 | 46 | #3393 |
| 2019 | 27 | #5028 |
| 2018 | 33 | #4350 |
| 2017 | 29 | #4796 |
| 2016 | 22 | #5969 |
| 2015 | 22 | #6013 |
| 2014 | 20 | #6426 |
| 2013 | 25 | #5469 |
| 2012 | 21 | #6319 |
| 2011 | 19 | #6828 |
| 2010 | 10 | #11185 |
| 2009 | 8 | #13587 |
| 2008 | 11 | #10744 |
| 2007 | 15 | #8485 |
| 2006 | 8 | #13510 |
| 2005 | 7 | #14403 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Explore More
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1883–2024