Ira
Hebrew, “watchful”; a captain under King David, revived by the Puritans.
Popularity, 1880–2025
Ira appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in 18 different years between 1880 and 1898. Its biggest year was 1947, when 884 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 216 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1881, at No. 57. In 2025 it ranked No. 819 for boys. The name has also seen real use for girls: 7,125 of the 62,535 Americans given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other names that share a story: David
Explore Ira interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 2,379 | No. 57 |
| 1890s | 1,916 | No. 82 |
| 1900s | 1,714 | No. 107 |
| 1910s | 6,115 | No. 138 |
| 1920s | 7,911 | No. 166 |
| 1930s | 5,838 | No. 194 |
| 1940s | 7,156 | No. 203 |
| 1950s | 7,026 | No. 231 |
| 1960s | 4,412 | No. 318 |
| 1970s | 3,107 | No. 425 |
| 1980s | 2,098 | No. 505 |
| 1990s | 1,184 | No. 833 |
| 2000s | 1,070 | No. 1087 |
| 2010s | 1,806 | No. 873 |
| 2020s | 1,678 | No. 802 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.