Lior, Liora

• Origin: Hebrew
• Meaning: “My light,” “light for me”
• Hebrew: לִיאוֹר (Lior); לִיאוֹרָה (Liora)
• Pronunciation: lee-OR; lee-oh-RAH
• Variation: Liorit (strictly female)
• Variant Transcriptions: Leorah, Liorah

From the modern Hebrew phrase לִי אוֹר (li or), literally meaning “light for me,” and generally interpreted as “my light.” It is composed of Hebrew לִי (li), “to me” or “for me,” and אוֹר (or), “light.”

Lior is used for both males and females in Israel, although it has become more common for males in recent years. Liora and Liorit are specifically its feminine forms. The spellings Leor and Leora are also used, particularly among Jewish communities outside Israel.

Lior became especially popular in Israel during the latter half of the 20th century. As a female name, it entered the Israeli Top 100 in 1984 and peaked at #20 in 1998. Its use for girls subsequently declined, and it last appeared in the Israeli Top 100 Female Names in 2017, when it ranked #99. As a male name, Lior remained in the Israeli Top 100 through 2020, when it ranked #93. It had previously reached #44 in 2010.

In France, Lior has experienced a gradual rise in popularity. It reached its highest point in 2024, when it ranked #428.

In the United States, Lior remains relatively uncommon. It was given to 78 boys in 2025, ranking at approximately #1,968. Its use for females is substantially rarer. Liora, however, entered the U.S. Top 1000 Female Names for the first time in 2025, ranking at #898.

Liora has recently experienced a noticeable rise in the English-speaking world. It entered the U.S. Top 1000 Female Names for the first time in 2025, ranking at #898. In England and Wales, it entered the Top 1000 in 2024 at #869 and rose to #551 in 2025.

Alternately, Leora has had a history of use in 19th-century America among non-Jews, in this case, it may have been a truncated form of Eleanora.

The name is borne by Israeli actor Lior Ashkenazi (b. 1968); Israeli actor and screenwriter Lior Raz (b. 1971), co-creator and star of Fauda; Israeli singer Lior Narkis (b. 1976); Israeli mentalist Lior Suchard (b. 1981); and Australian-Israeli singer-songwriter Lior Attar (b. 1976), known professionally as Lior.

The feminine form is borne by Israeli businesswoman Liora Ofer (b. 1953); Israeli singer Liora Simon Fadlon (b. 1970), who represented Israel at the 1995 Eurovision Song Contest; and Israeli-Indian singer Liora Itzhak (b. 1974).

Sources

• https://www.behindthename.com/name/lior
• https://reformjudaism.org/baby-names/leor
• https://www.behindthename.com/name/liora