Nora has more than one plausible root, functioning as a short form of the Irish Honora ("honor") while also echoing the Arabic nur ("light"). Both threads converge on something luminous and dignified rather than showy. The name is often understood as suggesting a steady, honorable kind of radiance.
The Moon hath a certain natural mutability, therefore she easily communicates to us the Influence of the other Stars. - William Lilly (1602.-1681.)