Ira
Ira is a boys' name of Hebrew origin meaning “watchful, vigilant.” It ranked #822 in the United States in 2025. Ira appears in the Bible as one of King David's chief ministers and mighty warriors.
how do you pronounce Ira?
EYE-rah
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Ira mean?
The name Ira means “watchful, vigilant.” It comes from the Hebrew language tradition.
Ira appears in the Bible as one of King David's chief ministers and mighty warriors. The Hebrew meaning is 'watchful' or 'vigilant.' The name had strong popularity in early 20th-century America through lyricist Ira Gershwin and journalist Ira Glass. It has a crisp, two-syllable simplicity that feels both vintage and modern.
where does the name Ira come from?
Wiktionary gives Ira two separate origins: a Hebrew name meaning watchful, which matches the meaning commonly given for it, and, in an unrelated feminine line, a diminutive tied to the cognates of Irene and to Irina, arising perhaps through the Russian short form Ira. These sources describe two different names that happen to share a spelling rather than one shared derivation.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | #822 |
| 2024 | #972 |
| 2023 | #880 |
| 2022 | #846 |
| 2021 | #810 |
| 2020 | #803 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
who are famous people named Ira?
- Ira Gershwin (American lyricist, brother of George Gershwin)
- Ira Glass (American radio host, This American Life)
what names are similar to Ira?
what names go well with Ira?
Sibling names that share Ira's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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