Myra
Myra was the 663rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 429 babies. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked 158th; the most babies were born in 1958 (1,288). Over the last ten years it has moved down 63 places. More babies were named Myra in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning literary coinage (possibly an anagram of Mary) · English
Say it MY-ruh /ˈmaɪrə/
- Rank in 2025
- #663 girls, down 107 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 429girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19581,288 babies
- Total since 1880
- 63,967babies recorded
What does the name Myra mean?
Myra was first used as a name by the English poet Fulke Greville, who addressed love poems to a "Myra." Wiktionary suggests he may have made it as an anagram of Mary. It may also echo Latin and Greek words for myrrh or for wonder, but there is no evidence that Greville meant either. Myra was also the name of an ancient town in Lycia, which Wiktionary records separately. The name has been used in the US since the 19th century.
How sure is this? Uncertain. A poet's coinage; the anagram of Mary is a guess, and other associations are unproven.
Other explanations you may read: Means 'myrrh' or 'wonderful'. These are later associations, not Greville's documented intent..
Related names: Mira, Mary, Moira.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Myra' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Myra' (Latin section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Myra popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 51 since 1916.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #663 | 429 |
| 2020 | #556 | 533 |
| 2010 | #966 | 265 |
| 2000 | #935 | 230 |
| 1990 | #702 | 300 |
| 1980 | #524 | 367 |
| 1970 | #462 | 454 |
| 1960 | #261 | 1,174 |
| 1950 | #236 | 1,032 |
| 1940 | #224 | 749 |
| 1930 | #300 | 489 |
| 1920 | #289 | 516 |
| 1910 | #309 | 155 |
| 1900 | #254 | 164 |
| 1890 | #209 | 133 |
| 1880 | #158 | 83 |
How popular is Myra, counting every spelling?
Myra has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #665 for girls in 2025, against #663 on the official list, because Kaylin/Kaylynn/Kailyn and Jayleen/Jaylene/Jaelynn and Romy/Romi/Romee move ahead once their spellings are combined.
How many kids will share the name Myra?
429 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Myra (0.12 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Myra 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 20 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Myra.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Myra?
About 40,000 people born in the US named Myra are alive today, with a median age of 59; half are between 27 and 72. That makes Myra 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.
Myra by state
How common Myra was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Washington (2.4×), Massachusetts (2.0×), Iowa (1.9×), New Jersey (1.9×), Indiana (1.9×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Nevada, Connecticut, Idaho.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Myra: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Myra, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Myra · Sibling names for Myra
Questions about the name Myra
What does Myra mean?
Myra is usually explained as “literary coinage (possibly an anagram of Mary)”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Myra?
Myra was the 663rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 429 babies. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked 158th; the most babies were born in 1958 (1,288). Over the last ten years it has moved down 63 places. More babies were named Myra in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Myra a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Myra in the US.
Where is Myra most popular?
In 2021–2025, Myra was most common in Washington (0.71 per 1,000 girls), followed by Massachusetts and Iowa.