Naira
A feminine name of Russian origin meaning "supreme ruler".
Name Census estimates that about 836 living Americans carry the first name Naira. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Naira today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Naira births was 2019 (75 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Naira. 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
836
~ 1 in 409,993 Americans
Peak year
2019
75 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,515
Tracked since 1981
Popularity
Naira: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Naira from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 366 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
Naira 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 Naira during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nairas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Naira, while Ohio, Florida, Illinois recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 37 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Naira
The name Naira has its origins in the Armenian language, and it is believed to have emerged during the medieval period in the region of historic Armenia. The name is derived from the Armenian word "nairi," which means "river valley" or "source of the river." This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals who lived near rivers or in fertile river valleys.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Naira can be found in the medieval Armenian epic poem "Daredevils of Sassoun," which dates back to the 8th or 9th century. In this literary work, Naira is mentioned as the name of a female character, indicating that the name has been in use for several centuries.
Throughout history, there have been notable individuals who bore the name Naira. One of the most famous was Naira Stepanyan, an Armenian actress who lived from 1913 to 1996. She was renowned for her performances in both theater and film, and she is considered a pioneering figure in Armenian cinema.
Another notable figure was Naira Arshakyan, an Armenian writer and poet who lived from 1921 to 1985. Her works explored themes of love, nature, and the human experience, and she is widely regarded as one of the most influential voices in 20th-century Armenian literature.
In the field of music, Naira Asatrian was a renowned Armenian soprano who lived from 1927 to 2012. She performed in operas and concerts around the world, and her powerful voice and captivating stage presence earned her critical acclaim and numerous awards.
Naira Gevorgyan was an Armenian chess player who lived from 1968 to 2018. She was a Woman Grandmaster and a multiple-time Armenian Chess Champion, known for her strategic brilliance and tenacity on the chessboard.
Lastly, Naira Martirosyan was an Armenian artist and sculptor who lived from 1928 to 2010. Her works, which often depicted themes of motherhood and family, are celebrated for their emotional depth and technical mastery, and she is regarded as one of the most influential sculptors of her generation in Armenia.
People
Naira + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Naira as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Naira: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Naira?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 836 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Naira 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 409,993 US residents.
Is Naira a common name?
We classify Naira as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 844 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Naira most popular?
The single biggest year for Naira was 2019, when 75 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Naira is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Naira a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Naira 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.