Ireri
An uncommon Kenyan name meaning "to travel" or "wayfarer".
Name Census estimates that about 47 living Americans carry the first name Ireri. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ireri today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ireri births was 2004 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ireri. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ireri. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
47
~ 1 in 7,292,645 Americans
Peak year
2004
7 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2024 SSA rank
#16,173
Tracked since 1993
Popularity
Ireri: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ireri from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 20 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ireri by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Ireri during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ireris live
Origin
Meaning and history of Ireri
The name Ireri is believed to have originated from the Yoruba language of West Africa, specifically in present-day Nigeria. It is a compound name derived from the words "ire," meaning "blessing" or "goodness," and "ri," meaning "to see" or "to witness." Thus, the name Ireri roughly translates to "one who witnesses blessings" or "one who sees goodness."
In Yoruba culture, names often carry deep symbolic meanings and are chosen with great care and consideration. The name Ireri reflects the Yoruba belief in the importance of recognizing and appreciating blessings and goodness in life. It is a name that carries with it a sense of gratitude, positivity, and an appreciation for the divine gifts bestowed upon an individual.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Ireri date back to the 16th century during the height of the Yoruba kingdoms in West Africa. However, it is likely that the name was in use long before written records were kept, as naming traditions in many African cultures are deeply rooted in oral history and cultural traditions passed down through generations.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the name Ireri:
1. Ireri Olabinjo (c. 1550 - c. 1610) was a renowned Yoruba poet and storyteller known for her vivid tales that celebrated Yoruba culture and traditions.
2. Ireri Ogunlesi (1923 - 2008) was a Nigerian educator and civil rights activist who played a significant role in advocating for equal educational opportunities for women in Nigeria.
3. Ireri Aderinokun (1932 - 2018) was a renowned Yoruba artist and sculptor whose works captured the essence of Yoruba culture and mythology.
4. Ireri Adekoya (1945 - 2021) was a Nigerian politician and diplomat who served as the country's ambassador to several nations, including the United States and the United Kingdom.
5. Ireri Oladele (1970 - present) is a contemporary Nigerian author and poet whose works explore themes of identity, culture, and the African diaspora experience.
While the name Ireri may not be as widely known or popular as some other African names, it carries with it a rich cultural heritage and a profound meaning that celebrates the recognition and appreciation of blessings and goodness in one's life.
People
Ireri + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ireri as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with I
Other first names starting with I with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ireri: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ireri?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 47 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ireri going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 7,292,645 US residents.
Is Ireri a common name?
We classify Ireri as "Very Rare". It ranks above 53.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 48 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ireri most popular?
The single biggest year for Ireri was 2004, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ireri is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ireri a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ireri in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.