Onora

Onora is a term with two common uses in different contexts. In Italian, onora is the third-person singular present indicative form of the verb onorare, meaning to honor or to revere. It is also the informal second-person singular imperative form, meaning “honor!” as a direct command. The verb derives from Latin honorare, related to the noun honor. In sentences, it appears in both everyday speech and formal writing, as in Lui/lei onora i genitori (He/she honors the parents).

As a given name, Onora is a feminine form associated with Honora/Honoria and with Irish Gaelic roots. In Ireland and among Irish diaspora communities, Onóra (accented form) has been adopted in English-speaking contexts as well. The name carries the meaning of “honor,” reflecting its etymological connections to the word and virtue of honor. Anglicized variants include Honora and Honoria, which share the same distant origins.

Notable uses of the given name include Onora O’Neill, Baroness O’Neill of Bengarve, a British philosopher known for work in ethics and political philosophy. While Onora appears more commonly as a verb form in Italian, as a name it is encountered less frequently but remains part of historical and contemporary naming patterns in English-speaking and Irish contexts.

See also: Honora, Honoria. The term onora should be distinguished from unrelated names or places that may resemble it in different languages.