Unisex name · Japanese
Sora
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: the sky (depends on characters)Sora is a gender-neutral name that comes from Japanese and means "the sky (depends on characters)". It is used in Japanese.
- Meaning
- The sky (depends on characters)
- Origin
- Japanese
- Gender
- Unisex
- Say it
- SOH-rah
Meaning and origin of Sora
As a gender-neutral name, Sora comes from Japanese and means "the sky (depends on characters)". It is used in Japanese.
Say it SOH-rah. Say it SOH-ra. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
How to write Sora in Japanese
In hiragana, Sora is そら. In kanji it can be written several ways, and each choice gives the name its own meaning. These are spellings used for the name, with what each kanji means.
| Kanji | Reading | What the kanji mean |
|---|---|---|
| 空 | そら | 空 sky |
| 宇宙 | そら | 宇 eaves, heaven + 宙 space, skyA special reading: the kanji are read as a whole. |
Kanji and readings from the JMnedict and KANJIDIC2 dictionaries (EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0), checked by our editors.
Sora on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Sora on 6 lists.
“空: sky. Open and airy”
From Anime girl names, anime girl names from sky, sea and seasons
“The sky; Japanese, often written 空. Say SOH-rah”
From Gender neutral names, unisex names from Asia and the Pacific
“Sky; also 宙, the cosmos. Used for both genders.”
From Japanese boy names, japanese boy names from nature
“The sky (depends on characters); Japanese 空. Say SOH-ra”
From Nature names, sky, dawn and season names
“Japanese for sky, with a repeat mark for style”
From Sweaty Fortnite names, sweaty names with symbols
“Japanese for sky, breezy and calm”
From Unique dog names, unique dog names from around the world
How popular is Sora?
In 2025, 99 girls and 63 boys in the US were named Sora.
As a girl’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #1,959
- 99 babies, 62 per million girls
- Best rank
- #1,864 in 2023
- 108 babies that year
- Babies since 1972
- At least 1,799
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 0 per million |
| 1970s | 4 per million |
| 1980s | 6 per million |
| 1990s | 8 per million |
| 2000s | 18 per million |
| 2010s | 34 per million |
| 2020s | 58 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,317 | #2,657 | #2,360 | #2,350 | #2,214 | #2,249 | #2,102 | #1,864 | #1,979 | #1,959 |
As a boy’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #2,250
- 63 babies, 37 per million boys
- Best rank
- #1,995 in 2022
- 77 babies that year
- Babies since 2004
- At least 663
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 0 per million |
| 1970s | 0 per million |
| 1980s | 0 per million |
| 1990s | 0 per million |
| 2000s | 3 per million |
| 2010s | 14 per million |
| 2020s | 33 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,303 | #3,116 | #2,987 | #3,096 | #3,408 | #2,584 | #1,995 | #2,433 | #2,310 | #2,250 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Sora
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- SaraPrincess, noblewoman (Hebrew, girl)
- SomaBrisk and true (depends on characters) (Japanese, boy)
- SotaBrisk and big (depends on characters) (Japanese, boy)
- SarahPrincess, noblewoman (Hebrew, girl)
- SofiaWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- StormTempest (Old English, unisex)
- SaraiMy princess (Hebrew, girl)
- ShonaGod is gracious (Hebrew, girl)
- SolSun (Latin, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- CelesteHeavenly, of the sky (Latin, girl)
- FalakCelestial sphere, sky (Arabic, unisex)
- AkashThe sky (Sanskrit, boy)
- AlohilaniBright sky (Hawaiian, girl)
- AntarikshSpace, sky (Sanskrit, boy)
- AsumanSky (Persian, girl)
- AzzurraAzure, sky blue (Italian, girl)
- CieloSky, heaven (Latin, girl)
- GaganSky (Sanskrit, unisex)
- GökalpSky hero (Turkish, boy)
Middle names for Sora
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More names from Japanese
- AiLove; indigo (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- KaiSea (Japanese, boy)
- AikoBeloved child (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- AimiLove and beauty, written 愛美 (Japanese, girl)
- AkaneDeep red, madder (Japanese, girl)
- AkariLamplight (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- AkemiBright beauty (Japanese, girl)
- AkiSecond and hope, written 亜希 (Japanese, girl)
- AkihikoBright prince (depends on kanji) (Japanese, boy)
- AkihiroBright and wide (depends on characters) (Japanese, boy)
Sora: common questions
What does the name Sora mean?
Sora comes from Japanese and means "the sky (depends on characters)".
Is Sora a boy or girl name?
Sora is used for both boys and girls. In 2025, 99 girls and 63 boys in the US were named Sora, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Sora come from?
Sora comes from Japanese and means "the sky (depends on characters)". Today it is used in Japanese.
How do you pronounce Sora?
Say SOH-rah. Say SOH-ra. Pronunciation can vary between languages and regions.
How do you write Sora in Japanese?
Sora is written そら in hiragana. Kanji spellings include 空 (sky) and 宇宙 (a special reading). The kanji parents choose decide what the name means.
How popular is the name Sora?
Sora ranked #1,959 in the US in 2025, with 99 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Sora?
Names spelled like Sora include Sara, Soma, Sota, Sarah and Sofia.
What middle names go with Sora?
Middle names that flow well with Sora include Abigail, Andrew, Blair, Chase and Eugene. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.