Iria
An invented name likely derived from the Portuguese word "iria" meaning "wrath" or "anger".
Name Census estimates that about 84 living Americans carry the first name Iria. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 90.0% of registrations being female. The average person named Iria today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Iria births was 2002 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Iria. 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 Iria. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
84
~ 1 in 4,080,409 Americans
Peak year
2002
8 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
1927 SSA rank
#4,476
Tracked since 1916
Gender
Gender distribution for Iria
Iria leans heavily female at 90.0% of total registrations, but 10 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Iria as a male name
- Ranked #4,476 in 1927
- 5 male births in 1927
- Peak: 1921 (5 births)
Iria as a female name
- Ranked #16,174 in 2024
- 5 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2002 (8 births)
Popularity
Iria: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Iria from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 36 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Iria remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Iria 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 Iria during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Iria
The name Iria has its roots in the Basque language and culture, originating in the Basque Country region of Spain and France. It is believed to be derived from the Basque word "iri," meaning "town" or "city." This suggests that the name may have been originally used to refer to someone who lived in or was associated with a particular town or urban area.
Iria is an ancient name with a long history in the Basque region. It is documented in medieval Basque texts and records from as early as the 11th century, indicating its widespread use during this time period. Some scholars believe that the name may have even older origins, potentially tracing back to pre-Christian Basque cultures.
In the historical records of the Basque Country, the name Iria appears several times associated with notable individuals. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Iria Andreamunea (c. 1100-1170), a noblewoman and landowner from the town of Hernani. Another notable figure was Iria Lopez de Haro (c. 1170-1235), a prominent member of the Haro family, who held significant influence in the region during the 13th century.
Moving into the Renaissance period, Iria Garzia de Salazar (c. 1480-1555) was a Basque writer and historian known for her chronicles documenting the history and customs of the Basque people. In the 17th century, Iria Zuloaga (1604-1672) was a renowned Basque painter and engraver whose works are still celebrated today.
Across the centuries, the name Iria has also been carried by several religious figures and saints. One example is Saint Iria (c. 650-653), a young Basque martyr who was killed for her Christian faith during the Umayyad conquest of the region. Her story and veneration as a saint helped to further popularize the name among Basque Christians.
While the name Iria has deep roots in the Basque culture, it has also spread to other regions and languages over time. Variations of the name, such as Iria, Iria, and Irea, can be found in various parts of Spain, Portugal, and even parts of Latin America, reflecting the influence of Basque language and culture in these areas.
People
Iria + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Iria 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
Iria: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Iria?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 84 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Iria 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 4,080,409 US residents.
Is Iria a common name?
We classify Iria as "Very Rare". It ranks above 62% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 100 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Iria most popular?
The single biggest year for Iria was 2002, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Iria is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Iria a female name?
Yes, 90.0% of people registered as Iria 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.