Baby Names Girl Names Aurora Name Meaning Aurora is most often seen as a girl name. Learn more about the meaning, origin, and popularity of the name Aurora. By Elisa Cinelli Published on June 24, 2024 Fact checked by Elizabeth Brownfield In This Article View All In This Article How Popular Is the Name Aurora? Name Variations Similar Names Common Nicknames for Aurora Suggested Sibling Names Famous People Named Aurora Close Aurora is a mystical, romantic name that means "dawn" in Latin. An aurora also refers to a natural light display in the Earth's sky called the aurora polaris, or polar lights, which are visible only in high-latitude regions like the North and South Poles. The aurora borealis (the northern lights) and the aurora australis (the southern lights) paint the sky in a dazzling array of colors. Aurora was the Roman goddess of the dawn. Helios, the sun god, and Selene, the moon goddess, were her brother and sister. Aurora rode across the sky each morning before her brother, Helios rode across with the sun. As she rode, she sprinkled dew over the land. Aurora had several children. Some of them were the winds Boreas, Eurus, Notus, and Zephyrus. She also gave birth to the morning star Eosphorus and the evening star Hesperus. Walt Disney named the protagonist of its 1959 film Sleeping Beauty Aurora. In the original tale that Disney adapted, however, the princess gave birth to two children, naming the girl Aurora (or Dawn, depending on the translation) and the boy Day. Origin: The name Aurora is of Latin origin and it is used in the Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, English, Romanian, and Finnish languages. Gender: Aurora is historically a feminine noun, having personified an ancient Roman goddess. It is a feminine noun in Latin. Pronunciation: Ah-ROR-ah Editor's Note Although many baby names are separated by gender, Parents believes that sex does not need to play a role in your name selection process. It’s important to select a name that you feel suits your new baby the best. How Popular Is the Name Aurora? The name Aurora has been steadily increasing in popularity over the years since it broke into the top 500 in 2000, which it hadn't done since the 1940s. Aurora broke into the top 100 in 2015 and the top 50 in 2018. According to the Social Security Administration, the name has continued to rise in popularity, peaking at position 22 in 2023. Aurora will likely continue to become even trendier in the coming years. Celestial names and cottagecore names, whose aesthetic is based on nostalgia and love for the natural world, have grown in popularity. Name Variations Being of Latin origin, Aurora is used in several romance languages as well as in other European countries. The name Aurora is used in English, Finnish, German, Italian, Romanian, Spanish, and Portuguese. In some languages, the spelling and pronunciation vary including: Aurore (French) Avrora (Russian, Ukranian) Similar Names Names with a similar sound include the following: AroaAuraAureaAureliaAurelianaAuricaAurelijaAurélie If you want to explore other baby names that start with "A", consider these: AlexAlexandraAliceAlisonAmberAmyAnastasiaAndreaAubreyAudreyAvaAvery Common Nicknames for Aurora Common nicknames for Aurora include: Arie: A fun, modern optionAura: A feminine-sounding nickname, related to the name's meaningDawn: Based on the name's meaningOrie: An original take on shortening the name AuroraRo: A short, sporty-sounding nicknameRory: A popular nickname for Aurora with a gender-neutral vibe Suggested Sibling Names AdamAugustusCamillaChiaraCaspianCharlesHankLunaMaiaNoahPaulPhilipRoxanneSelenaStellaUlyssesVictoriaVioletWalter Famous People Named Aurora Well-known Auroras include royalty, Olympic athletes, and trailblazing women. Here are a few famous people named Aurora: Aurora Quezon, First Lady of the Philippines from 1935 to 1944, wife of Philippine President Manuel Luis Quezon, the first Chairperson of the Philippine National Red CrossAurora "Rory" Block, country blues guitarist and singerAurora Karamzin, Finnish-Swedish aristocrat and philanthropistAurora Liljenroth, Swedish scholar and one of the first women to graduate from the gymnasium, a type of school with a strong emphasis on academic learningAurora Demidova, Russian noblewoman and member of the house of Demidov, a prominent Russian noble family during the 18th and 19th centuriesAurora Bretón, Olympic archer representing MexicoAurora Cáceres, Peruvian writer associated with the Latin American literary movement known as modernismoAurora Clavel, Mexican film and television actressAurora Reyes-Flores, the first female muralist in Mexico More Baby Names Top 1,000 Baby Girl Names in the US 100 Greek Baby Names and Meanings 50 Strong Female Names Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources Parents uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. What are the northern lights?. Library of Congress. 2019. The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood. University of Pittsburgh. n.d. Change in Name Popularity. Social Security Administration. n.d.