Irma
Universal protector, of Germanic origin related to battle fortitude and bravery.
Name Census estimates that about 28,248 living Americans carry the first name Irma. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Irma today is around 59 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Irma births was 1920 (1,393 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Irma. 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
- • Although Irma is used almost entirely for girls, the SSA data does show 252 boys registered with the name since 1880.
- • Compared to the 1920s, recent registration numbers for Irma have dropped to less than 5% of what they once were.
People living today
28K
~ 1 in 12,134 Americans
Peak year
1920
1,393 babies that year
Average age
59
years old
1990 SSA rank
#2,609
Tracked since 1880
Gender
Gender distribution for Irma
Out of the 73,969 babies given the name Irma since 1880, 99.7% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Irma as a male name
- Ranked #8,640 in 1990
- 5 male births in 1990
- Peak: 1921 (10 births)
Irma as a female name
- Ranked #2,609 in 2024
- 67 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1920 (1,393 births)
Popularity
Irma: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Irma from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 12,285 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Irma 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 Irma during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Irmas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 50 states and territories. Texas, California, New York recorded the most babies named Irma, while Nevada, Vermont, Delaware recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 1,253 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Irma
The name Irma has its origins in the Germanic languages, derived from the Old High German word "irma" or "erma," which means "entire," "universal," or "whole." This name gained popularity during the Middle Ages, particularly in areas where Germanic tribes and cultures held sway, such as parts of modern-day Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Irma can be found in the 9th century, in reference to Saint Irma, a Benedictine abbess who lived in the Frankish Empire (modern-day Germany) during the reign of Charlemagne. Saint Irma is revered as the patron saint of the poor and is celebrated on September 24th in the Catholic Church.
In the literary realm, the name Irma makes an appearance in the works of German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who included a character named Irma in his novel "Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship," published in 1795-1796. This literary reference contributed to the name's popularity in German-speaking regions during the 19th century.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Irma. One such individual was Irma Grese (1923-1945), a notorious Nazi war criminal and concentration camp guard during World War II, who was convicted and executed for her crimes against humanity.
On a more positive note, Irma Stern (1894-1966) was a renowned South African artist known for her vibrant and expressive paintings, particularly those depicting the landscapes and people of Africa. Her works are celebrated for their bold use of color and unique perspective.
Another prominent figure was Irma Gramatica (1905-1994), an Italian actress and stage performer who achieved great success in both theater and film during the mid-20th century. She was particularly acclaimed for her performances in productions by Luigi Pirandello and other renowned Italian playwrights.
Irma Leoni (1926-2012) was an Italian operatic soprano who enjoyed an illustrious career spanning several decades. She performed in some of the world's most prestigious opera houses, including La Scala in Milan and the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.
Finally, Irma Hirsch (1923-1993) was a Polish-American psychoanalyst and author who made significant contributions to the field of psychoanalysis. Her work focused on the development of the self and the impact of early childhood experiences on personality formation.
People
Irma + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Irma 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
Irma: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Irma?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 28,248 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Irma 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 12,134 US residents.
Is Irma a common name?
We classify Irma as "Uncommon". It ranks above 98.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 73,969 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Irma most popular?
The single biggest year for Irma was 1920, when 1,393 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Irma is about 59 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Irma a female name?
Yes, 99.7% of people registered as Irma 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.