Ira

Did you know?

A few things about Ira you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Ira

Ira Levin

American novelist, playwright (1929–2007)

Choose Ira and your child shares a first name with Ira Levin, an American novelist, playwright. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Ira, like who?” Ira Levin's Wikipedia article is available in 44 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Ira Levin on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Jacket design by Paul Bacon Photo by Inge Morath, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 5,675 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Ira, 301 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Ira would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryIra has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Iras, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1881, when it ranked #57. Today it's #819, so it could be due a comeback.
• 📈Then vs nowIra is 3.4× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 19,455 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 5,675.
• 📍Where it's lovedIra is most popular in Vermont, where it ranks #80, followed by Nebraska (#377) and Minnesota (#420). It's in the top 1,000 in 23 states.
• ⚖️Boy or girlIra is given to both boys and girls: 58% of the 523 babies named Ira in 2025 were boys. That makes it one of the names that truly works for either.
• 💬MeaningIn Hebrew, Ira means “watchful”.

About the name Ira

Ira is a gender-neutral name of Hebrew origin meaning “watchful”. It has 3 letters and 1 syllable, starting with I and ending in “-ira”. US birth records list Ira for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1881, when it ranked #57 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #819, with 301 babies. Of the 523 US babies named Ira in 2025, 42% were girls and 58% were boys.

Origin:Hebrew names