Norris
Feminine · Old French roots · “northerner”
Norris is given to both — 523 girls and 16,456 boys since 1880. See Norris as a boy nameSee other names given to both
Norris is an English surname with two separate Norman-French sources, one meaning a northerner and one meaning a nurse. As a first name it belongs above all to Norris McWhirter, who with his twin brother Ross compiled the first Guinness Book of Records.
How old is the name Norris?
Norris first appears in US birth records in 1902 — 123 years ago. The typical Norris alive today was born around 1934, making them about 91 years old. About 200 people named Norris are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Norris most popular?
Norris peaked in 1933, reaching #1606 nationally. See the whole 1933 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From noreis and norice (Old French) to Norris
The story of Norris
Both surnames go back to medieval England, and like many surnames Norris became an American first name in the nineteenth century. Its best-known first-name bearer was British: Norris McWhirter and his twin Ross were sports journalists when, in 1955, they compiled The Guinness Book of Records, a book the Guinness brewery commissioned to settle arguments in pubs. Norris edited it for three decades and became famous on the BBC children's program Record Breakers for answering questions from memory.
Meaningscholars disagree
northerner, or nurse (Norman French)
Two surnames fell together in this spelling. One is from Old French noreis, 'northerner,' for a man who came from the north; the other is from norice, 'nurse,' used of a foster parent or someone who cared for children. Few families know which of the two they carry.
How the name formed
- noreis and noriceOld French
- NorrisEnglish surname
- Norrisfirst name
Pronouncing Norris
NOR-is
Two syllables, stress on the first.
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1902
- Most girls named
- 193322 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1606reached in 1933
- Change vs 1970
- 0.0%5 in 1985, from 5
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Norriss among us
people named Norris are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Norris sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- A plain English surname that works as a first name without explanation.
- Two documented meanings, both ordinary medieval words.
- Rare among children today, so it will seldom be shared.
- Many people will think of the actor Chuck Norris, whose surname it is, and the long-running jokes about him.
- It is best known among men of earlier generations, so it reads as a vintage choice.
- A very few girls are recorded with it; for them it will be read as a boy's name.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Norris to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Norris? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Norris
Feminine · Old French roots
Frequently asked
- How many Norriss are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 200 people named Norris are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Norris in 2025?
- Norris is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Norris with classmates?
- Norris will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More N names
The most-given names starting with N, all years combined.
Nancy#965 · Nicole#382 · Natalie#89 · Norma#2002 · Nora#20 · Naomi#47 · Nellie#533 · Nina#324
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Norris? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Norris and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle