Ira
Top 1000
About Ira
Succinct and sharp, Ira is one of the shortest Old Testament names, belonging to one of King David's thirty 'mighty warriors.' It was widely used in the US from the 1880s to the early 1930s (it was Number 57 on the Social Security list in 1881), but fell off completely in 1993, only to return in 2016. Currently, it is in the latter half of the US Top 1000, given to around 260 boys each year.
Beyond its Hebrew origins, Ira is also a unisex Sanskrit and Hindi name. Literally meaning "wind" in Sanskrit, it is the name of the wind-god in Hinduism. Elsewhere, it is used as a feminine name, a short form of Russian Irina, a Basque nature name, and Sanskrit choice meaning "earth".
Although Ira is a retirement-account acronym in the US, it's back on the table for those seeking a short biblical name for their sons. A musical namesake is lyricist Ira Gershwin (born Israel), a literary one is Ira Levin, while Ira Sachs is a film director. There are also two prominent Iras hosting NPR radio shows.
Across the pond in the UK, however, Ira likely receives less use currently as the initials IRA are associated with the Irish Republican Army, which could make it feel like a political choice.
Pronounced EYE-ra.
As of October 2026, Ira ranked #822 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #57 in 1881, Nameberry popularity #176.
Editor's take: The name Ira is a boy's name of Hebrew origin meaning "watchful one; wind".
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #1,170 | 160 | 83.3 |
| 2015 | #1,020 | 199 | 103.8 |
| 2016 | #952 | 218 | 114.9 |
| 2017 | #967 | 214 | 115.6 |
| 2018 | #961 | 216 | 118.9 |
| 2019 | #876 | 251 | 139.9 |
| 2020 | #807 | 288 | 166.9 |
| 2021 | #809 | 301 | 172.1 |
| 2022 | #845 | 288 | 164.9 |
| 2023 | #878 | 266 | 155.5 |
| 2024 | #975 | 230 | 133.5 |
| 2025 | #822 | 301 | 176.2 |
World rankings
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Ira.
- Ansel
- Ewan
- Orson
- Rafferty
- Bram
- Darcy
- Roscoe
- Dashiell
- Cormac
- Finnian
- Boaz
- Asa
- Odis
- Rafe
- Seamus
- Amos
- Leif
- Laszlo
- Fraser
- Enoch
Ira on lists
Famous Iras
- Ira Khan
Daughter of Indian Actor Aamir Khan
- Ira Marvin Levin
American novelist
- Ira Frederick Aldridge
American Shakespearean actor
- Ira Allen
American revolutionary of the Green Mountain Boys, brother of Ethan Allen, founder of Vermont
- Israel "Ira" Gershwin
American lyricist
- Ira Jeffrey Glass
American NPR radio presenter and journalist
- Ira Flatow
American radio presenter
- Ira Hamilton Hayes
U.S. Marine in the photo of the flag raising on Iwo Jima
- Ira Louvin (born Ira Lonnie Loudermilk)
American country singer of the Louvin Brothers
- Ira Wells Wood
U.S. Congressman from New Jersey
- Ira Allen Eastman
U.S. Congressman from New Hampshire
- Ira Clifton Copley
American publisher and Congressman from Illinois
- Ira David Sankey
American gospel singer
- Ira Kaplan
American lead singer of band Yo La Tengo
- Ira Wood
American actor
- Russell Ira Crowe
Australian actor
- John Ira Shepherd Hanson (b. 2008)
son of American musician Zac Hanson
Ira in pop culture
- Ira Silverberg
father of Norah in book/film "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist"
- Ira Buckman
character on TV's "Mad About You"
- Ira Kane
character in movie "Evolution"
- Ira Lee "Tripp" Williams
character on TV's "Living Single"
- Ira Rosso
character in '10 Kids, No Pets', by Ann M Martin
- Ira
one of the Castor clones on TV's "Orphan Black"
- Ira Gaines
character on TV's "24"
- Ira Goldstein
ASB Bank ad character in New Zealand
- Ira Hogeboom
character in the video game L.A. Noire
- Ira Wright
character in the 2009 film "Funny People"
- IRA
Acronym for Irish Republican Army, a dissident republican group
- 'Ira' is also Latin for wrath
one of the seven deadly sins
- Ira Levinson
character from 'the longest ride', book and film