 Morning Star, part of a 1902 Art Nouveau decorative panel by Alfons Mucha. | |
| Gender | Female |
|---|---|
| Origin | |
| Word/name | Latin |
| Meaning | Dawn |
| Other names | |
| Related names | Aurore, Rory |
Aurora is a feminine given name, originating from the name of the ancient Roman goddess of dawn Aurora.[1][2] Her tears were said to turn into the morning dew. Each morning she traveled in her chariot across the sky from east to west, proclaiming renewal with the rising of the sun.[3] The Romans also associated the Northern Lights, or the Aurora borealis, with the goddess.[4] Aurora is also traditionally the name of the princess in the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty and the many works of art it has inspired.[5] The tale of a cursed princess who slept for one hundred years and was awakenened by the kiss of a prince might be considered a modern retelling of the ancient story of Aurora the dawn goddess, whose myths also include stories of a long sleep and an awakening at dawn.[6]
It was not in use in the Middle Ages[7] but came into general use in Europe in the 17th century in Sweden, Spain and the Spanish-speaking world and Italy. It was used in the English-speaking world by the 18th century, but was rare until the 20th century. The name has been increasing in popularity in the United Kingdom and across Europe in recent years.[6][8] The name entered the list of 100 most popular names for newborn girls in the United Kingdom in 2018. The increase in usage was attributed to a trend for “dreamy space names” among British parents who were influenced by social media.[9] Aurora has also grown in popularity for girls in the United States in recent years. Names taken from mythology and those that had positive meanings or associations also increased in use for children born during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has ranked among the 100 most popular names for newborn girls since 2015 and was the 31st most popular name for American girls in 2022.[10][11] [12] It also ranked among the top 100 names for newborn girls in Canada, ranking 53rd on that country's popularity chart in 2021.[13] It was also among the 10 most popular names for girls in Brazil in 2023.[14] Rory is a modern English nickname for the name.
Aurore is the French form of the name. Aurore was most popular in France in the 1970s and 1980s, when it was among the 100 most popular names for girls. It is still among the 250 most popular names for French girls in the early 2020s.[15]
The variant used in the Russian language is "Авро́ра" (Avrora).[1] While in use before the 20th century, it became more common after the Russian Revolution of 1917, due to the role cruiser Aurora played in the events.[1] In 1924–1930, the name was included into various Soviet calendars,[16] which included the new and often artificially created names promoting the new Soviet realities and encouraging the break with the tradition of using the names in the Synodal Menologia.[17] Diminutives of this name include "Авро́рка" (Avrorka), "А́ва" (Ava), "А́ра" (Ara), and "Ро́ра" (Rora).[1] Avrora is also the Ukrainian form of the name.
