Noor

“Light” in Arabic; also a Dutch short form of Eleonora.

Noor carries the direct Arabic meaning “light”. Written نور, it is used as a name for girls and boys; Nur and Nour are other spellings of this Arabic name. The light image also has a religious resonance in Islam, notably in the Quran’s Verse of Light. There is a separate Dutch feminine Noor, shortened from Eleonora. This route explains the same spelling through a longer given name, rather than through the Arabic word for light. The pronunciations help tell the two apart: Arabic /ˈnuːr/ has a long oo sound, while Dutch /ˈnoːr/ has a long o. Both examples have one syllable. Noor’s spare shape leaves the central vowel to carry much of its sound. The Arabic light meaning gives it a bright, clear image, while the sustained vowel can feel calm rather than brisk. It is a small name with enough sound to linger.

Etymology: Arabic Noor transcribes نور, nūr, “light”. A separate Dutch feminine Noor is a shortening of Eleonora.