Nyire
A name of Rwandan origin meaning "compassionate" or "kind-hearted."
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Nyire. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Nyire today is around 4 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nyire births was 2022 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nyire. 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 Nyire. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2022
5 babies that year
Average age
4
years old
2022 SSA rank
#13,773
Tracked since 2022
Popularity
Nyire: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Nyire 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 Nyire during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Nyire
The name Nyire has its origins in the Akan language spoken by the Akan people of Ghana and Ivory Coast in West Africa. The name is believed to have emerged sometime during the 13th or 14th century, around the peak of the great medieval Akan empires like the Ashanti Empire.
Nyire is derived from the Akan word "nyira" which means "to walk with dignity" or "to carry oneself with grace and poise." It was a name traditionally given to children, particularly girls, as a way of instilling these values of confidence and self-respect from a young age.
One of the earliest known references to the name Nyire can be found in the oral traditions and folklore of the Akan people, where it appears in several stories and proverbs highlighting the importance of self-assurance and a noble bearing.
The first recorded instance of the name Nyire is believed to be from the 16th century, when it was mentioned in a historical account of the Denkyira Kingdom, one of the powerful Akan states at the time. Nyire was the name of a princess from the royal family, known for her unwavering spirit and her role in negotiating a crucial peace treaty.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Nyire. One of the most famous was Nyire Nana (1768-1838), a renowned Ashanti queen mother and influential advisor to the Asantehene (King) during the height of the Ashanti Empire's power and expansion in the early 19th century.
Another prominent figure was Nyire Ababio (1901-1972), a pioneering Ghanaian educator and women's rights activist who played a crucial role in establishing some of the first schools for girls in the country and advocating for greater access to education for women.
In the world of literature, Nyire Addo (1932-2005) was a celebrated Ghanaian novelist and poet, known for her poignant works exploring themes of identity, culture, and the experiences of women in post-colonial Africa.
The name Nyire also gained international recognition through the accomplishments of Nyire Makena (1945-2018), a Kenyan diplomat and the first African woman to serve as the Chairperson of the African Union Commission from 2012 to 2017.
Lastly, Nyire Amuah (1972-present) is a contemporary Ghanaian artist and sculptor whose works have been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world, showcasing the rich cultural heritage and artistic traditions of West Africa.
People
Nyire + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nyire 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
Nyire: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nyire?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nyire 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Nyire a common name?
We classify Nyire as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nyire most popular?
The single biggest year for Nyire was 2022, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nyire is about 4 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Nyire in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Nyire a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nyire in the SSA data are male. 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.
Is Nyire still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Nyire in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Nyire can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Nyire?
Find out how many people share the name Nyire on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.