girl's name
Myra
MY-ruh (English)
- Origin English
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 67,898
the United States
#662
2025 births
Myra was invented by a poet — Fulke Greville coined it around 1580, probably by rearranging Mary, and every later meaning attached to it was supplied after the fact. The name is reviving.
- Myra is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 1958, when 1,296 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1950s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- Today about 1 in 7,728 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Myra Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 953 |
| 1890s | 1,305 |
| 1900s | 1,361 |
| 1910s | 3,403 |
| 1920s | 4,986 |
| 1930s | 5,858 |
| 1940s | 8,884 |
| 1950s | 10,391 |
| 1960s | 7,364 |
| 1970s | 3,781 |
| 1980s | 3,189 |
| 1990s | 2,473 |
| 2000s | 2,454 |
| 2010s | 4,594 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 2,971 |
What Myra Means
Myra has no original meaning. It was coined as a literary name, and the myrrh and Latin readings offered for it were attached to an invention rather than derived from a source.
Where Myra Comes From
Myra is generally credited to Fulke Greville, who used it in poetry around 1580 and appears to have built it by rearranging Mary or on the Latin mirari, to wonder. Later sources attach it to myrrh, the resin, and to Myra in Lycia, the city where Saint Nicholas was bishop — but both are readings applied to an existing coinage rather than its source. The name is reviving, and it charts in five markets.
Myra in Use
Myra peaked in the United States in 1958, when 1,296 babies were registered, and it is reviving. It now ranks 397th in Ireland on 10 births, 465th in England and Wales on 86, 662nd in the United States on 429 and 730th in France on 55, across 67,898 lifetime births in five markets. Ireland and England both rank it above America.
How Popular Is Myra?
In 2025, Myra was given to 429 babies in the United States, ranking #662 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Myra 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 Myra
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Myra Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Myra over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Myra
- English MY-ruh /ˈmaɪ.ɹə/
Myra 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.
Sibling Names for Myra
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Myra — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Myra
What does the name Myra mean?
Nothing original. Fulke Greville coined it around 1580 and meanings were attached later.
Is Myra related to myrrh?
Only by later association. The reading was applied to an existing coinage.
Is there a place called Myra?
In Lycia, where Saint Nicholas was bishop — but the name does not derive from it.
Is Myra coming back?
It is reviving, at 465th in England and Wales.
How popular is the name Myra?
In 2025, Myra was given to 429 babies in the United States, ranking #662 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Is Myra a girl's or a boy's name?
Myra is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Myra?
Myra has 2 syllables.
When was Myra most popular?
Myra peaked in 1958, when 1,296 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1950s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
Is Myra a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Myra currently ranks #210 in the United States. After peaking in the 1950s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.