Ira
Ira was the 822nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 301 babies. Its best year was 1881, when it ranked 57th; the most babies were born in 1947 (884). Over the last ten years it has moved up 199 places. More babies were named Ira in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning watchful (Hebrew, traditional); or Slavic Irene · Hebrew, Russian
Say it Y-ruh /ˈaɪɹə/
- Rank in 2025
- #822 boys, down 19 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 301boys
- Girls and boys
- 39% girls, 61% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1947884 babies
- Total since 1880
- 62,535babies recorded
What does the name Ira mean?
Ira has two sources. As a boys' name it is the Hebrew ʿIra, a priest or minister of King David in 2 Samuel 20:26; Wiktionary glosses the name as from a word meaning 'watchful', though the meaning is not certain. It was used by Puritans and became a mainly American name, borne by the lyricist Ira Gershwin. As a girls' name Ira is a Russian, Ukrainian and Czech pet form of Irina (Irene), from Greek eirēnē 'peace'.
עִירָא (ʿIra) (Biblical Hebrew, “Ira”)εἰρήνη (eirēnē) (Ancient Greek, “peace”)
How sure is this? Probable. The Hebrew 'watchful' gloss is traditional but uncertain.
Pronunciation: The Slavic girls' name is EE-ra.
See also: Hebrew names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Ira', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Hebrew Bible, 2 Samuel 20:26 (Sefaria, with JPS translation), Sefaria
Ira popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,086 | #822 | 222 | 301 |
| 2020 | #1,435 | #803 | 152 | 289 |
| 2010 | #3,990 | #1,313 | 38 | 131 |
| 2000 | — | #1,284 | — | 101 |
| 1990 | #6,250 | #838 | 14 | 151 |
| 1980 | #4,394 | #506 | 17 | 282 |
| 1970 | #3,147 | #437 | 21 | 349 |
| 1960 | #1,995 | #318 | 33 | 599 |
| 1950 | #1,216 | #231 | 58 | 797 |
| 1940 | #864 | #205 | 68 | 625 |
| 1930 | #788 | #199 | 80 | 702 |
| 1920 | #809 | #170 | 81 | 829 |
| 1910 | #633 | #138 | 45 | 233 |
| 1900 | #480 | #107 | 50 | 218 |
| 1890 | #653 | #82 | 17 | 209 |
| 1880 | #426 | #66 | 16 | 249 |
How popular is Ira, counting every spelling?
Ira is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #784 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #822 for Ira on its own. Together these spellings went to 309 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ira | 301 | #822 | 1,389 |
| Irah | 8 | #9,226 | 47 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Ira?
301 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Ira (0.08 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Ira born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 28 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Ira.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Ira?
About 22,400 people born in the US named Ira are alive today, with a median age of 59; half are between 36 and 73. That makes Ira a name most people associate with older generations. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Ira by state
How common Ira was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Oregon (3.2×), Utah (2.7×), Minnesota (2.3×), Indiana (1.9×), Missouri (1.8×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New Jersey, Maryland, Alabama.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Ira: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Ira, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Ira · Sibling names for Ira
Questions about the name Ira
What does Ira mean?
Ira means “watchful (Hebrew, traditional); or Slavic Irene” (Hebrew, Russian origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Ira?
Ira was the 822nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 301 babies. Its best year was 1881, when it ranked 57th; the most babies were born in 1947 (884). Over the last ten years it has moved up 199 places. More babies were named Ira in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Ira a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 39% girls, 61% boys given the name Ira in the US.
Where is Ira most popular?
In 2021–2025, Ira was most common in Vermont (0.95 per 1,000 boys), followed by Oregon and Utah.