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.

This attractive Scottish surname choice, has a certain amount of glamour thanks to feisty British-born red-haired forties Academy Award winner Greer Garson, who was born Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson--Greer was her Irish mother's maiden name). Greer was chosen much more recently by Kelsey Grammer for his daughter and by Brooke Shields in the Grier form. As a surname, it's associated with feminist writer/activist Germaine Greer.

Truly multi-cultural, Ira can be: a Russian short form of Irina, meaning "peace"; a gender-switch of the Hebrew male name Ira, meaning "watchful"; a modern Greek and Finnish form of Hera, meaning "hero" or "protectress"; a Sanskrit name meaning "earth" or "enjoyment"; and a Basque nature name meaning "fern", from the word iratzea.

The spelling variation Greer may be much more popular, but this one might appeal to fans of Bryer and Brier. Given to 18 girls (and 8 boys) in the US in a recent year, Greer is used about five times more often.

Greer is typically used as a girl name in the US, particularly in this form. The spelling Grier is gender-neutral, given to boys about 43 percent of the time.

In mythology, a creature with a hundred eyes, making it a better name for a camera than a baby.

A unique and intriguing occupational name that may be a suitable alternative to the popular Walker. Author J.D. Salinger's character Waker Glass is featured in several of his short stories.

A Scottish surname, taken from Gregor and Gregory, this spelling is less popular as a given name than its more familiar counterpart, Greer. Given to 8 boys (and 18 girls) in the US in a recent year, for every one boy called Grier, there are three Greers.

Sounds like a child in a Gothic novel.