Virla
A name of unknown origin and meaning, potentially derived from Latin or German roots.
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Virla. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Virla today is around 82 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Virla births was 1919 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Virla. 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
- • The typical person named Virla is about 82 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Virlas were born before 1954.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Virla. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1919
8 babies that year
Average age
82
years old
1940 SSA rank
#3,847
Tracked since 1919
Popularity
Virla: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Virla from the 1910s through to the 1940s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 24 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
Virla 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 Virla 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 Virla
The name Virla is an ancient moniker with its origins rooted in the Indo-European linguistic family. Scholars trace its beginnings to the Proto-Germanic language, which flourished in northern Europe during the first millennium BCE. The name is believed to have derived from the Proto-Germanic root *wir-, meaning "man" or "husband," signifying strength and masculinity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Virla can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, a collection of medieval Norse literature dating back to the 13th century. In these sagas, Virla is mentioned as the name of a brave Viking warrior who fought alongside King Harald Fairhair during the unification of Norway in the 9th century.
During the Middle Ages, the name Virla gained popularity among the Germanic tribes that inhabited the regions of present-day Germany and Scandinavia. It was particularly prevalent among the Saxons, who were known for their fierce warriors and seafaring traditions. The name was often bestowed upon sons in the hopes that they would embody the qualities of strength, courage, and resilience associated with their forebears.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Virla von Wittelsbach was recorded in the chronicles of the Holy Roman Empire. He was a respected military commander who played a pivotal role in the Bavarian War of Succession, leading his troops to victory against the rival claimants to the ducal throne.
As the centuries passed, the name Virla continued to be used, albeit in a more limited capacity. In the 16th century, a Dutch merchant and explorer named Virla Janssen embarked on several voyages to the East Indies, establishing trade routes and contributing to the growth of the Dutch East India Company.
Another notable figure was Virla Eriksson, a Swedish politician and feminist activist who lived from 1845 to 1923. She was a prominent figure in the women's suffrage movement and played a crucial role in securing the right to vote for Swedish women in 1919.
While the name Virla has waned in popularity in modern times, its rich history and cultural significance remain etched in the annals of various European civilizations, serving as a testament to the enduring legacy of ancient names and their ability to transcend time and place.
People
Virla + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Virla as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with V
Other first names starting with V with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Virla: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Virla?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Virla 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 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Virla a common name?
We classify Virla as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 50 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Virla most popular?
The single biggest year for Virla was 1919, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Virla is about 82 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 Virla in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Virla a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Virla 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.
Is Virla still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Virla 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 Virla 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 have the name Virla?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.