Nuru
Nuru is a name with a single cultural origin: Swahili.
- Swahili
Meaning & Origin of Nuru
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Nuru is a name with a single cultural origin: Swahili.
Origin data from Behind the Name .
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Swahili
The Story of Nuru
As a girl name
American parents first put Nuru on the record books as a girl name in 2021, with 6 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2022, when 11 Nurus were born — ranking #9,053 that year. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2022 (11 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 17 Nurus have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2020s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
American parents first put Nuru on the record books as a boy name in 1977, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2016, when 7 Nurus were born — ranking #9,662 that year. The 2020s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 59% of all recorded Nurus. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2022 (6 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 29 Nurus have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Nuru
Phonetically similar names — useful when Nuru 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 Nuru
What does the name Nuru mean?
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How popular is Nuru in 2026?
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Is Nuru a unisex name?
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About the name Nuru
Nuru is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1977 and has accumulated 29 births in the dataset. Nuru's peak popularity came in 2016 when it ranked #9,662. Use the chart and map above to compare Nuru's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2016 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "N" →
- Browse all boy 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.