Total births
55,410
Unisex name · since 1880
Ira
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 55,410 babies named Ira, peaking in 1947. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #969
- among boys today
- 55,410
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other boys
Ira currently ranks #969 among unisex names in America, with 55,410 babies recorded since 1880.
Ira has 55,410 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #969 as of the latest data, more common than 93% of boys, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #969 among boys today
- 55,410 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 93% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Ira is currently the #969 unisex name in America, more common than 93% of boys - 55,410 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #969
- among boys today
- 55,410
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other boys
Ira vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#969
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 93% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
14% of everyone ever named Ira was born in this single decade.
1947
Single peak year
884 babies were named Ira in 1947 - its busiest year on record.
How Ira compares
55,410 Top 3% higher than 97% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Ira's all-time total is 151x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ira | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 55,410 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 884 | 23 | 22,252 |
Ira's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Ira splits its recorded history at 1953: 36% of all births land in the more recent half, 64% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 2001 (88 births) -- compare that against the 1947 peak of 884 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Ira at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1947
Current rank
#969
Active since
1880
Ira popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1947)
- 884
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Ira popularity over time - girls
7,125 total births recorded since 1880 (Ira as girls' name)
Ira by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Ira's strongest decade.
7,911 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 14% of all-time use.
Ira births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 2,379
1880s
2,379 births
- 1890s 1,916
1890s
1,916 births
- 1900s 1,714
1900s
1,714 births
- 1910s
1910s
6,115 births
- 1920s
1920s
7,911 births
- 1930s
1930s
5,838 births
- 1940s
1940s
7,156 births
- 1950s
1950s
7,026 births
- 1960s
1960s
4,412 births
- 1970s 3,107
1970s
3,107 births
- 1980s 2,098
1980s
2,098 births
- 1990s 1,184
1990s
1,184 births
- 2000s 1,070
2000s
1,070 births
- 2010s 1,806
2010s
1,806 births
- 2020s 1,678
2020s
1,678 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 7,911 births (14% of all-time use).
How Ira compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Ira's total volume
Ira vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Ira by state
Where Ira concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 7,647 | 13.8% |
| #2 | Texas | | 3,643 | 6.6% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 2,548 | 4.6% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 1,972 | 3.6% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 1,884 | 3.4% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 1,786 | 3.2% |
| #7 | California | | 1,761 | 3.2% |
| #8 | Florida | | 1,500 | 2.7% |
New York share of Ira's total US births 13.8%
Even split
7,647 of 55,410 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 48 reporting states.
Ira appears in 48 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ira? ▼
Ira has been given to 55,410 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #969 as of the latest data. 884 babies were born in 1947, its single highest year.
When was Ira most popular? ▼
Ira was most popular in the 1920s decade with 7,911 total births. The single peak year was 1947.
Where is Ira most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ira are New York (7,647 births), Texas (3,643 births), Pennsylvania (2,548 births).
Is Ira a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Ira is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 55,410 births, and as a girl's name it has 7,125 births.
How long has the name Ira been used? ▼
Ira has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Ira? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Iran, Iram, Irah, Iraj, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Ira's data
- Ira's decade-level peak was the 1920s (7,911 total births); usage has since declined to 1,678 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Iras (7,647 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Ira
Nearby Names Like Ira
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ira
Iran Boy
#9101 1,359 births
Iram Boy
#3182 917 births
Irah Boy
#7190 86 births
Iraj Boy
#8896 19 births
Irav Boy
#10893 7 births
Compare Ira side by side: Ira vs Iran Ira vs Iram Ira vs Irah
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ira
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ira: #969 Unisex Name - 55,410 Births, Peak 1947." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ira. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Ira draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.