Tora
A feminine Japanese name meaning "tiger".
Name Census estimates that about 899 living Americans carry the first name Tora. It is a predominantly female name (97.4% of registrations). The average person named Tora today is around 38 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tora births was 1976 (53 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tora. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Tora with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
899
~ 1 in 381,262 Americans
Peak year
1976
53 babies that year
Average age
38
years old
1978 SSA rank
#5,715
Tracked since 1898
Census
Tora in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 920 people with the first name Tora, which placed it at #13,211 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#13,211
National first-name rank
People counted
920
920 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.3
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
41.8% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tora
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Tora is Black at 41.8%. The next largest groups are White (41.4%) and Two or More Races (6.4%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Tora described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Tora at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American41.8% · 385
- White41.4% · 381
- Two or more races6.4% · 59
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.0% · 46
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 45
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 4
Gender
Gender distribution for Tora
Tora leans heavily female at 97.4% of total registrations, but 26 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Tora as a male name
- Ranked #5,715 in 1978
- 6 male births in 1978
- Peak: 1971 (8 births)
Tora as a female name
- Ranked #10,991 in 2024
- 9 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1976 (53 births)
2020 Census snapshot
In the 2020 Census sex table, Tora leans strongly female. 853 people counted with this name were female (92.1%), compared with 73 male bearers (7.9%).
Popularity
Tora: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tora from the 1890s through to the 2020s, spanning 13 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 347 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tora by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Tora during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Toras live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. California, South Carolina, Florida recorded the most babies named Tora, while Pennsylvania, Illinois, Mississippi recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 7 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Tora
The name Tora has its origins in various cultures and languages around the world. It is believed to have originated from the Old Norse word "þora," which means "brave" or "daring." This name was commonly used among the Vikings and Norse people, particularly during the 8th to 11th centuries.
In Japanese culture, the name Tora is derived from the word "tora," which means "tiger." It is a popular name for boys and is often associated with strength, courage, and power. The tiger is a revered animal in Japanese mythology and folklore, symbolizing bravery and protection.
The name Tora can also be found in Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language. In this context, it is believed to be derived from the word "tara," which means "star" or "savior." This name has been mentioned in various Hindu scriptures and texts, often in reference to deities or revered figures.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tora dates back to the 9th century. Tora Hlodvirsson was a Norwegian Viking who lived during this time and was known for his exploits as a seafarer and warrior. Another notable figure was Tora Gudbrandsdatter, a Norwegian woman from the 13th century who played a significant role in the country's history.
In the 15th century, Tora Valkendorff was a Danish noblewoman and courtier who served as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Christina of Denmark. She was renowned for her intelligence and diplomatic skills.
During the 16th century, Tora Tegnér was a Swedish writer and poet who gained recognition for her literary works and contributions to Swedish literature. Her poetry often explored themes of love, nature, and personal experiences.
In the 19th century, Tora Almqvist was a Swedish writer and educator who advocated for women's rights and educational reforms. She was a pioneer in promoting equality and access to education for women in Sweden.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Tora. The name has transcended various cultures and periods, with its meanings ranging from bravery and strength to celestial and divine associations.
People
Tora + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tora as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Tora: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tora?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 899 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tora going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 381,262 US residents.
Is Tora a common name?
We classify Tora as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,007 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tora most popular?
The single biggest year for Tora was 1976, when 53 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tora is about 38 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Tora in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 920 people with the name Tora, or 0.30 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #13,211 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Tora in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Tora?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Tora leans strongly female. 853 people counted with this name were female (92.1%), compared with 73 male bearers (7.9%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Tora?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Tora is Black at 41.8%. The next largest groups are White (41.4%) and Two or More Races (6.4%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Tora most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Tora in the 2020 Census, accounting for 41.8% (385 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Tora in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Tora a female name?
Yes, 97.4% of people registered as Tora in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Tora still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Tora in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Tora can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many people have the name Tora?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.