Lyra
Lyra was the 435th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 711 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 543 places. More babies were named Lyra in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning lyre (the constellation) · Greek, Latin
Say it LY-ruh /ˈlaɪrə/
- Rank in 2025
- #435 girls, up 115 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 711girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025711 babies
- Total since 1880
- 8,095babies recorded
What does the name Lyra mean?
Lyra is the Latin name of a northern constellation shaped like a lyre, which contains the bright star Vega. Wiktionary derives it through Latin from Greek lyra, "lyre". As a girl's name it is modern, helped by Lyra Belacqua, the heroine of Philip Pullman's novel series His Dark Materials (from 1995).
λύρα (Ancient Greek, “lyre”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Lyric, Lira, Vega.
See also: Greek names, names that mean sky, star, moon or sun.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Lyra', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'Lyra', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Lyra popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #435 | 711 |
| 2020 | #550 | 543 |
| 2010 | #1,124 | 219 |
| 2000 | #5,845 | 19 |
| 1990 | #10,903 | 7 |
| 1980 | #3,936 | 20 |
| 1970 | #6,119 | 8 |
| 1960 | #5,011 | 8 |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | #4,974 | 5 |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Lyra, counting every spelling?
Lyra is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #447 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #435 for Lyra on its own. Together these spellings went to 728 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyra | 711 | #435 | 3,272 |
| Lyrah | 17 | #6,721 | 68 |
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 Lyra?
711 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Lyra (0.20 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Lyra 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 12 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Lyra.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Lyra?
About 7,900 people born in the US named Lyra are alive today, with a median age of 7; half are between 4 and 13. That makes Lyra a young name: most people with it are children.
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.
Lyra by state
How common Lyra was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Oregon (2.9×), Washington (2.5×), Colorado (2.4×), Massachusetts (2.2×), Kansas (1.9×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Lyra: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Lyra, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Lyra · Sibling names for Lyra
Questions about the name Lyra
What does Lyra mean?
Lyra means “lyre (the constellation)” (Greek, Latin origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Lyra?
Lyra was the 435th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 711 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 543 places. More babies were named Lyra in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Lyra a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Lyra in the US.
Where is Lyra most popular?
In 2021–2025, Lyra was most common in Oregon (1.15 per 1,000 girls), followed by Vermont and Washington.