NameCensus.

UK name, mostly girls

Sora

Of Japanese origin meaning "sky" or "celestial".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Also recorded as a boys' name in the UK, with 30 boys.

Sora is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Sora popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4192, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2015, with 8 births.

This profile covers 66 England and Wales registrations across 15 recorded years from 1997 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 63% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 66 living people in the UK are called Sora. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Sora ranked #4192 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 5 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2015, when 8 girls were registered as Sora.
  • Sora is also recorded for boys, but the girls side is the larger UK variant in these records.
  • About 66 living people in the UK are estimated to have Sora as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
  • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 68.8% of Sora registrations are for girls.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4192

2024

Births in 2024

5

Latest year

Peak year

2015

8 births

Estimated living

66

2026

Gender

Boy and girl registrations for Sora

In England and Wales birth records, Sora has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 31.3% of registrations are for boys and 68.8% are for girls.

These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.

31% boys
69% girls
Boys30 (31.3%)Girls66 (68.8%)

Sora registered for boys

  • Ranked #5,119 in 2024
  • 3 boys registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2022 (7 births)

Sora registered for girls

  • Ranked #4,192 in 2024
  • 5 girls registered in 2024
  • Peak: 2015 (8 births)

Meaning

What does Sora mean?

The name Sora has its origins in multiple cultures and languages, with varying meanings and historical references.

In Japanese, the name Sora (そら or 空) means "sky" or "heaven." It is a unisex name widely used in Japan and has been found in historical records dating back to the Heian period (794-1185 CE). The name was often associated with Buddhist and Shinto beliefs, where the sky was revered as a sacred realm.

In Italian, the name Sora is derived from the Latin word "aura," meaning "breeze" or "gentle wind." It was a popular name in ancient Rome and has been traced back to the 1st century CE. Sora was also the name of a town in the Lazio region of Italy, which may have influenced the name's usage.

In Hebrew, the name Sora (שׂרה) is a variation of Sarah, meaning "princess" or "noblewoman." It has biblical roots and was the name of the wife of Abraham in the Old Testament. This name has been in use since ancient times and has maintained its popularity throughout Jewish history.

In Greek mythology, Sora was the name of one of the Horae, goddesses representing the seasons and the natural portions of time. She was associated with the summer season and depicted as a young woman carrying a basket of fruit and flowers.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Sora was Sora av Beit Shammai, a Jewish scholar who lived in the 1st century BCE and was a contemporary of Hillel the Elder. In the 12th century, Sora ben Joseph was a prominent French Torah scholar and author.

In the 15th century, Sora Narishige was a Japanese warrior and samurai who served under the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa. During the 16th century, Sora Anticli was an Italian painter and sculptor who worked in the Renaissance style.

In the 19th century, Sora Abraham was a pioneering educator and writer in the Malayalam language, known for her contributions to promoting women's education in Kerala, India. Sora Maṉikkavāchakar was a Tamil poet and scholar who lived during the same period.

Sora Shunputsu was a Japanese poet and calligrapher active in the early 20th century, renowned for her works in the traditional tanka and haiku forms. Sora Choi, a prominent South Korean artist and sculptor, gained recognition for her abstract and minimalist works in the latter half of the 20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Sora over time

The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Sora in England and Wales, from 1997 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Sora, the clearest high point is 2015. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2024, compared with 8 at the peak.

Babies born per year

BoysGirls
036811199720102024

Decades

Sora by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Sora was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #4090 27 5
2010s #4733 27 6
2000s #4787 6 2
1990s #3862 6 2

Related

Names similar to Sora

FAQ

Sora: questions and answers

How popular is the name Sora in the UK right now?

In 2024, Sora was ranked #4192 for girls in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.

When was Sora most popular?

The peak year on record was 2015, with 8 babies registered as Sora in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Sora?

Of Japanese origin meaning "sky" or "celestial".

How many people are called Sora in the UK?

A total of 66 babies have been registered as Sora across the 15 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.