Nara

At a Glance: Name: Nara – Meaning: place name (Nara, the ancient capital); in Japanese nara also means 'oak' – Origin: Japanese – Gender: Neutral – Pronunciation: NAH-rah

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Nara is a clean, modern, gender-neutral name of Japanese origin, pronounced NAH-rah. It's a place name, taken from Nara, the ancient capital, and in Japanese nara also means 'oak'. Its short, open sound works easily with a first name, middle name, or surname.

Meaning & Origin of Nara

Meaning: Place name (Nara, the ancient capital); in Japanese nara also means 'oak'.

Origin: Japanese.

How to Pronounce Nara

Phonetic: NAH-rah   IPA: /ˈnɑːrə/

Popularity of Nara

Nara ranked #2491 in 2024 with 72 babies given the name. Its peak rank was #2447 back in 1909, when only 5 babies had it, so it has stayed a rare and quiet pick across more than a century of records.

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1909–2024.

Make Nara Name Art

Free printable nursery art for Nara, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.

Names With a Similar Story

Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.

• Adler
• Aila
• Aphra
• Boden
• Elson
• Enzi

FAQ

What does the name Nara mean?

Place name (Nara, the ancient capital); in Japanese nara also means ‘oak’.

How do you pronounce Nara?

Nara is pronounced NAH-rah (IPA: /ˈnɑːrə/).

Is Nara a popular name right now?

Nara is near its all-time peak (#2447 in 1909), ranked #2491 in 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1909–2024.)

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