Moura as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Moura

What is the meaning of the name Moura ?

The baby name Moura is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced Portuguese: /ˈmowɾɐ/ (approx. 'MOH-rah'); English approximation: 'MOO-rah'..

Moura is Portuguese in Origin.

Moura carries layered roots across languages. In Portuguese and Galician, moura means “Moorish woman,” a word embedded in Iberian folklore through the moura encantada - enchanted female figures linked to hidden treasures and ancient sites - so the name evokes mystery and old-world romance. In Lusophone contexts it appears as a rare given name and more commonly as a surname or place name (e.g., Moura in Alentejo). In the Slavic sphere, Moura occurs as an older transliteration of Mura, a familiar diminutive of Maria; the Russian aristocrat and memoirist Baroness Moura Budberg (born Maria) made this form known in the West.

Meanings vary with origin: from Latin Maurus via Maura it signifies “dark, Moorish” or “from Mauretania,” while the Maria route ties it to the debated Hebrew Miryam (“beloved,” “wished-for child,” or “rebellious”). Related forms and variants include Maura, Mura, Mora, and the cognate Moira.