Nori
Nori (Japanese: 海苔) is a dried edible seaweed used in Japanese cuisine, usually made from species of the red algae genus Pyropia, including P. yezoensis and P. tenera. It has a strong and distinctive flavor, and is generally made into flat sheets and used to wrap rolls of sushi or onigiri.
Meaning & Origin of Nori
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Nori (Japanese: 海苔) is a dried edible seaweed used in Japanese cuisine, usually made from species of the red algae genus Pyropia, including P. yezoensis and P. tenera. It has a strong and distinctive flavor, and is generally made into flat sheets and used to wrap rolls of sushi or onigiri.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Nori
As a girl name
American parents first put Nori on the record books as a girl name in 1950, with 6 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2023, when 296 Noris were born — ranking #898 that year. The 2020s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 55% of all recorded Noris. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #916 among girl names with 290 births, rising sharply (+39% over the past five years). In total, more than 3K Noris have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Nori first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 2001, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2020: 30 births, good for #3,569 nationwide. The 2020s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 64% of all recorded Noris. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #4,954 among boy names with 20 births, gradually rising (+11%). In total, more than 254 Noris have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2000s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Nori
Phonetically similar names — useful when Nori is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Nori
What does the name Nori mean?
How popular is Nori in 2026?
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About the name Nori
Nori is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1950 and has accumulated 3K births in the dataset. Nori's peak popularity came in 2023 when it ranked #898. Use the chart and map above to compare Nori's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2023 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "N" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.