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 tale that Disney adapted, however, the princess gave birth to a set of twins, naming the girl twin Aurora (or Dawn, depending on the translation).

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 into the top 50 in 2018. According to the most recent data from the Social Security Administration, it peaked in 2020 at position 36. Aurora will likely see a rise in popularity in coming years. Celestial names and cottagecore names, whose aesthetic is based on nostalgia and love for the natural world, have grown in popularity during these more turbulent times.

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 varies including:

Aurore (French)Avrora (Russian, Ukranian)

Similar Names

These names have a similar sound to Aurora, but different meanings. Some also have different origins.

AroaAuraAureaAureliaAurelianaAuricaAurelijaAurélie

Common Nicknames

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

Adam Augustus Camilla Chiara Caspian Charles Luna Maia Paul Philip Roxanne Selena Stella Ulysses Victoria

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 Pavlovna 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

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