Lira
A feminine given name of possible Albanian origin meaning "currency".
Name Census estimates that about 358 living Americans carry the first name Lira. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Lira today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lira births was 2021 (42 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lira. 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.
People living today
358
~ 1 in 957,414 Americans
Peak year
2021
42 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,052
Tracked since 1976
Popularity
Lira: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lira from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 163 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lira 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 Lira during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Liras live
Origin
Meaning and history of Lira
The name Lira is believed to have originated from the ancient Greek word "lura," which means "lyre," a stringed musical instrument. This name is closely associated with the ancient Greek goddess of music, poetry, and the arts, Terpsichore. It is thought to have gained popularity during the classical era of ancient Greece, around the 5th century BC.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lira can be found in the epic poem "The Odyssey" by Homer, where Lira is mentioned as a lyrical musician who accompanied the bard Demodocus. This suggests that the name was in use during the 8th century BC, when the poem is believed to have been composed.
The name Lira also appears in several ancient Greek texts, including the works of the playwright Aristophanes and the philosopher Plato, indicating its continued use throughout the classical period of ancient Greece.
One of the most notable historical figures bearing the name Lira was Lira of Naucratis, a renowned lyric poet from the city of Naucratis in ancient Egypt, who lived during the 6th century BC. Her poems were celebrated for their beautiful and melodic verses, reflecting the musical connotations of her name.
Another prominent figure named Lira was Lira of Thebes, a Greek musician and singer from the city of Thebes, who lived in the 5th century BC. She is said to have been a master of the lyre and was renowned for her performances during religious festivals and ceremonies.
In the realm of mythology, the name Lira is also associated with the Sirens, the dangerous yet alluring creatures from Greek mythology known for their enchanting voices and ability to lure sailors to their demise. According to some legends, the Sirens were former companions of the goddess Persephone who were transformed into half-bird, half-woman creatures after angering the gods.
During the Roman era, the name Lira was sometimes used as a variation of the Latin name "Lyra," which also had musical connotations and was derived from the same Greek root. One notable figure from this period was Lira of Corinth, a famous musician and singer who lived in the 1st century AD and was renowned for her performances throughout the Roman Empire.
Throughout the medieval and Renaissance periods, the name Lira continued to be used, albeit less frequently, often associated with artistic and musical pursuits. One example is Lira da Pistoia, an Italian Renaissance poet and scholar who lived in the 15th century and was known for her lyrical compositions.
People
Lira + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lira as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Lira: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lira?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 358 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lira 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 957,414 US residents.
Is Lira a common name?
We classify Lira as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 362 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lira most popular?
The single biggest year for Lira was 2021, when 42 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lira is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Lira a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lira 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.