Ira
2025 SSA
2025 SSA
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.
Ira for boys#822 US
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.
Ira for girls#1086 US
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.
Annette Bening and Warren Beatty broke the ice by using this Old Testament male standard as the middle name of their daughter Isabel, and food writer Molly Yeh named her second daughter Ira Dorothy in 2022, sister to Bernadette "Bernie".
Pronounced EYE-ra.
As of October 2026, Ira ranked #822 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #57 in 1881, Nameberry popularity #147.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · boys | Births · boys | US rank · girls | Births · girls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #1,170 | 160 | #1,930 | 104 |
| 2015 | #1,020 | 199 | #2,031 | 97 |
| 2016 | #952 | 218 | #1,708 | 125 |
| 2017 | #967 | 214 | #1,677 | 128 |
| 2018 | #961 | 216 | #1,491 | 147 |
| 2019 | #876 | 251 | #1,425 | 157 |
| 2020 | #807 | 288 | #1,435 | 152 |
| 2021 | #809 | 301 | #1,331 | 168 |
| 2022 | #845 | 288 | #1,231 | 196 |
| 2023 | #878 | 266 | #1,398 | 161 |
| 2024 | #975 | 230 | #1,436 | 154 |
| 2025 | #822 | 301 | #1,086 | 222 |
World rankings
Ira for girls
Similar names
These 40 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Ira.
Similar boy names
Similar girl names
Ira on lists
Famous Iras
- Ira KhanBoy
Daughter of Indian Actor Aamir Khan
- Ira Marvin LevinBoy
American novelist
- Ira Frederick AldridgeBoy
American Shakespearean actor
- Ira AllenBoy
American revolutionary of the Green Mountain Boys, brother of Ethan Allen, founder of Vermont
- Israel "Ira" GershwinBoy
American lyricist
- Ira Jeffrey GlassBoy
American NPR radio presenter and journalist
- Ira FlatowBoy
American radio presenter
- Ira Hamilton HayesBoy
U.S. Marine in the photo of the flag raising on Iwo Jima
- Ira Louvin (born Ira Lonnie Loudermilk)Boy
American country singer of the Louvin Brothers
- Ira Wells WoodBoy
U.S. Congressman from New Jersey
- Ira Allen EastmanBoy
U.S. Congressman from New Hampshire
- Ira Clifton CopleyBoy
American publisher and Congressman from Illinois
- Ira David SankeyBoy
American gospel singer
- Ira KaplanBoy
American lead singer of band Yo La Tengo
- Ira WoodBoy
American actor
- Russell Ira CroweBoy
Australian actor
- John Ira Shepherd Hanson (b. 2008)Boy
son of American musician Zac Hanson
- Virginia Carolina Theresa Pancrazia Galdina "Ira" von FürstenbergGirl
German princess, socialite and designer
- Jane Ira BloomGirl
American jazz saxophonist
- Ira WolfGirl
American singer,songwriter
- Ira KhanGirl
daughter of Aamir Khan
Ira in pop culture
- Ira SilverbergBoy
father of Norah in book/film "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist"
- Ira BuckmanBoy
character on TV's "Mad About You"
- Ira KaneBoy
character in movie "Evolution"
- Ira Lee "Tripp" WilliamsBoy
character on TV's "Living Single"
- Ira RossoBoy
character in '10 Kids, No Pets', by Ann M Martin
- IraBoy
one of the Castor clones on TV's "Orphan Black"
- Ira GainesBoy
character on TV's "24"
- Ira GoldsteinBoy
ASB Bank ad character in New Zealand
- Ira HogeboomBoy
character in the video game L.A. Noire
- Ira WrightBoy
character in the 2009 film "Funny People"
- IRABoy
Acronym for Irish Republican Army, a dissident republican group
- 'Ira' is also Latin for wrathBoy
one of the seven deadly sins
- Ira LevinsonBoy
character from 'the longest ride', book and film
- IRAGirl
Acronym for Irish Republican Army
- IraGirl
pronounced "eerh,uh," traditional nickname for Irina in Slavic countries
- IraGirl
Latin word for "Wrath," as one of the seven deadly sins
- Ira HathGirl
character in William Nicholson's "Wind on Fire" series