Aurora

Aurora is the Latin word for dawn, and the name of the Roman goddess of the dawn, the counterpart of the Greek Eos. Poets used the word for the dawn itself, and the northern lights are the aurora borealis, the “northern dawn”.

In Roman myth Aurora crossed the sky each morning to announce the sun, and her tears were said to become the dew. The name gained a second life through the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty, whose princess is called Aurora in several versions, including Tchaikovsky’s ballet and Disney’s 1959 film.

Aurora was almost unknown in Ireland until the late 2000s, with just four girls in 2008. It has grown quickly since, and 2025 was its best year so far, with 65 girls. That year it was number 78 combined, or 76th on the CSO list. It also reached 87th in Northern Ireland in 2025, its highest place there.