Nostradamus

name

"nostradamus" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Nostradamus” is uncommon English (frequency #53,140 among 24,391 “N” headwords), classed as a proper noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#53,140
frequency rank, English
24,391
“N” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A French astrologer and author of prophecies who lived in the early 1500s.

Corpus desk

Index EN-nostradamus · Nostradamus · English

Nostradamus · rank #53,140 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #53,140
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 24,391
  • PHOTO-FINISH Nollywood

Nearest frequency peer: Nollywood (-2 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Frequency neighbourhood for “Nostradamus”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “Nostradamus” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of May 6, 2026
Key facts for Nostradamus
PropertyValue
HeadwordNostradamus
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
Letters11
Frequency rank#53,140
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Nostradamus” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). Nostradamus lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Nostradamus is uncommon English at frequency #53,140 among 24,391 “N” headwords, classed as aproper noun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Nostradamus has no tracked misspelling variants, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: Michel de Nostredame's surname is one that honors Saint Mary (Our Lady). More details (if desired) are available at Nostradamus § Childhood. The correct English form is Nostradamus, spelled N-O-S-T-R-A-D-A-M-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    A French astrologer and author of prophecies who lived in the early 1500s.
  2. 2
    Someone who makes accurate prophecies.

Etymology

Michel de Nostredame's surname is one that honors Saint Mary (Our Lady). More details (if desired) are available at Nostradamus § Childhood.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Nostradamus"?
"Nostradamus" is spelled N-O-S-T-R-A-D-A-M-U-S.
What does "Nostradamus" mean?
As a proper noun, "Nostradamus" means: A French astrologer and author of prophecies who lived in the early 1500s.
What is the origin of the word "Nostradamus"?
Michel de Nostredame's surname is one that honors Saint Mary (Our Lady). More details (if desired) are available at Nostradamus § Childhood. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "Nostradamus", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list