Ira
Hebrew name borne by one of King David's officers, generally explained as meaning watchful or alert. It was taken up by English Puritans.
Ira in 2025
Ira was given to 523 babies in the United States in 2025 — 301 boys and 222 girls, making it the 1,139th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 6,339 babies born.
The history of Ira
Ira reached its highest point in 1947, when 968 babies were given the name, ranking 447th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 135th, in 1881.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 62,535 babies have been named Ira. Half of them were born before 1943, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Silent Generation.
Ira by decade
| Decade | Babies named Ira | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 2,551 | 135 |
| 1890s | 2,171 | 232 |
| 1900s | 2,073 | 281 |
| 1910s | 6,767 | 333 |
| 1920s | 8,811 | 369 |
| 1930s | 6,495 | 403 |
| 1940s | 7,813 | 428 |
| 1950s | 7,579 | 476 |
| 1960s | 4,730 | 680 |
| 1970s | 3,298 | 893 |
| 1980s | 2,249 | 1,088 |
| 1990s | 1,280 | 1,828 |
| 2000s | 1,201 | 2,348 |
| 2010s | 2,786 | 1,344 |
| 2020s | 2,731 | 1,139 |
Where Ira is heading
Ira has risen 77% over the past decade, from 296 babies in 2015 to 523 in 2025.
Names like Ira
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Ira.