Ira

Ira is a female first name that originates from Russian and is used as a short and pet form of Irina or Irena. Its roots trace back to the ancient Greek word Eirene, which means 'the Peaceful', 'the Peaceable', and 'the Harmonious'.

What does the name Ira mean?

The name Ira can be used for both females and males and has its origins in Ancient Greek. It means 'the Peaceful' and is derived from the word eirḗnē ‎(εἰρήνη), which means 'peace', 'calm', and 'harmony'. Additionally, Ira is also a boy's name with Hebrew origins, meaning 'the Watchful' or 'the Guardian', derived from the ancient Hebrew word îrā (עִירָא), which means 'vigilant'. Furthermore, the name is attributed with a Hebrew interpretation as 'female donkey' or 'male donkey', based on the ancient Hebrew ʿajir (עַיִר). A derivation of the name from the Latin ira, meaning 'anger', is considered unlikely, as the Eastern Church derivation from 'Irene' is stronger. In Greece, the name of the goddess Hera (Ήρα) is pronounced as 'Ira', which leads to it sometimes being regarded as a more modern Greek form of Hera. In Hinduism, Ira (ईर) is the name of a wind god meaning 'the Wind' in Sanskrit, while the female form Ira (इरा) means 'the Earth'. Ira is also commonly used as a nickname for Ireneo, Irenej, Ireneus, and Irinij. Variants of the name include Eireen, Eyrin, Irene, Irenee, Ireen, Iren, Irka, Ireni, Irenka, Arina, and Yarina.

How do you pronounce Ira?

The pronunciation of Ira is two syllables and clear. It is pronounced as 'I-ra' [ˈiːʁa] and begins with a long, bright 'i', which conveys a clear note. The second syllable sounds soft and open. This simple form gives Ira a calm and present aura - modern, harmonious, and elegant.

When is the name day of Ira?

Ira celebrates her name day on April 1, September 18, and October 20.

Popularity

In Germany, the first name Ira enjoys great popularity. Currently, it ranks 989th on the list of the most common female baby names. The best placement was achieved in 2013 with rank 764. In the last ten years, Ira has been given as a first name about 320 times, placing it at 1,162nd in the ten-year statistics. Between 2010 and 2024, it ranks 1,135th.

Nicknames & pet names

Irchen / Iri / Irikiri / Irina / Irinka / Irischa / Irre

Famous people

• Ira Anika Göbel (German musician)
• Ira Cara Cruz (Filipino musician)
• Ira Dubey (Indian actress)
• Ira Gershwin (Broadway lyricist)
• Ira Kaplan (musician)
• Ira Levin (writer)
• Ira Losco (singer)
• Ira Malaniuk (Austrian opera singer)
• Ira Mazzoni (German art historian)
• Ira Princess von Fürstenberg (actress, jewelry designer)
• Ira Trivedi (writer from India)
• Ira Tucker (American singer)
• Ivol Ira Curtis (American bishop)
• Jane Ira Bloom (composer from the USA)
• Ruben Ira Loftus-Cheek (footballer)
• Russell Ira Crowe (actor, singer)