girl's name
Irma
UR-muh
- Origin German
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 87,224
Ireland
#467
1973 births
Irma means whole or complete, and it is the surviving fragment of much longer Germanic names — Irmgard and Irmintrud both begin with it, and only the first element outlasted them. It peaked in 1920, and holds 87,193 lifetime births.
- Irma is a name of German origin.
- Peaked in 1920, when 1,393 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 66,309 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Irma over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 733 |
| 1890s | 2,407 |
| 1900s | 3,909 |
| 1910s | 10,471 |
| 1920s | 12,285 |
| 1930s | 8,580 |
| 1940s | 7,790 |
| 1950s | 9,462 |
| 1960s | 7,101 |
| 1970s | 4,039 |
| 1980s | 2,657 |
| 1990s | 2,218 |
| 2000s | 1,348 |
| 2010s | 636 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 385 |
What Irma means
Irma means whole, complete or universal. The Germanic irmin carried a sense of greatness and totality, and was associated with a god or a sacred pillar.
Where Irma comes from
Irma is a short form of Germanic names beginning with irmin — whole, great or universal — such as Irmgard and Irmintrud. The element is old and heavy: the Irminsul was a sacred pillar the Saxons venerated until Charlemagne destroyed it in 772, and the word may name a god. Irma outlived the compounds it came from, which happens often with Germanic names — Ethel, Emma and Bertha did the same.
Irma in use
Irma peaked in the United States in 1920, when 1,393 babies were registered, and our data marks it stable rather than falling. It charts in two of the seven markets we track — 2056th in France on 15 births and 3178th in the United States on 39 — across 87,224 lifetime births. France ranks it above the United States despite the American peak being the larger one.
How popular is Irma?
In 2025, Irma was given to 50 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Irma is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Irma
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Irma also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Irma over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Irma in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- German
- Irmgard
Sibling names for Irma
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Irma — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Irma
What does the name Irma mean?
Whole or complete — the Germanic irmin, carrying a sense of greatness and totality.
What was the Irminsul?
A sacred pillar the Saxons venerated, destroyed by Charlemagne in 772.
Is Irma short for something?
It began as a short form of Irmgard and Irmintrud, then outlived them both.
How popular is Irma?
2056th in France and 3178th in the United States.
Is Irma a girl's or a boy's name?
Irma is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Irma?
Irma has 2 syllables.
Is Irma a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Irma currently ranks #2,056 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.