Irma
Irma was the 3181st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 50 babies. Its best year was 1911, when it ranked 137th; the most babies were born in 1920 (1,393). Over the last ten years it has moved down 518 places. More babies were named Irma in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning "whole, great" · German, Germanic
Say it UR-muh /ˈɝmə/
- Rank in 2025
- #3,181 girls, down 671 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 50girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19201,393 babies
- Total since 1880
- 74,021babies recorded
What does the name Irma mean?
Irma is a German name of the 19th century, originally a short form of old Germanic names beginning with irmin- or ermen- (such as Irmgard). The element is usually glossed "whole, entire, great"; DMNES glosses the same element as "strong" in its entry for Emma, which is a cognate name. Irma spread into English use from German in the late 19th century. Wikipedia notes an unrelated Georgian name Irma.
*ermunaz (Proto-Germanic, “whole, entire, great”)irmin (Old Saxon, “strong, great (DMNES)”)
How sure is this? Probable. The Germanic element is glossed differently ("whole, great" in Wiktionary, "strong" in DMNES).
Related names: Emma, Irmgard, Erma.
See also: Germanic names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Irma', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Emma', DMNES (Durham University)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Ermengard', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wikipedia, 'Irma (name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Irma popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 252 since 1915.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,181 | 50 |
| 2020 | #2,510 | 69 |
| 2010 | #2,350 | 81 |
| 2000 | #1,206 | 165 |
| 1990 | #683 | 312 |
| 1980 | #559 | 333 |
| 1970 | #448 | 490 |
| 1960 | #300 | 959 |
| 1950 | #255 | 890 |
| 1940 | #223 | 749 |
| 1930 | #180 | 1,084 |
| 1920 | #164 | 1,393 |
| 1910 | #149 | 547 |
| 1900 | #168 | 326 |
| 1890 | #191 | 154 |
| 1880 | #285 | 30 |
How popular is Irma, counting every spelling?
Irma is the most common spelling of a name family that had 74 girls in 2025 across its spellings. Together these spellings went to 74 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Irma | 50 | #3,181 | 316 |
| Erma | 24 | #5,292 | 104 |
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 Irma?
50 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Irma (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Irma 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 167 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Irma.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Irma?
About 30,700 people born in the US named Irma are alive today, with a median age of 64; half are between 48 and 74. That makes Irma a name most people associate with older generations.
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.
Irma by state
How common Irma was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Texas (1.9×), California (1.6×). In 47 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Irma: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Irma, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Irma · Sibling names for Irma
Questions about the name Irma
What does Irma mean?
Irma means “"whole, great"” (German, Germanic origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Irma?
Irma was the 3181st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 50 babies. Its best year was 1911, when it ranked 137th; the most babies were born in 1920 (1,393). Over the last ten years it has moved down 518 places. More babies were named Irma in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Irma a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Irma in the US.
Where is Irma most popular?
In 2021–2025, Irma was most common in Texas (0.07 per 1,000 girls), followed by California and Illinois.