Ira

When one thinks of Old Testament boys' names from the Bible, Jacob and Moses would come up. However, there are names that many people don't really are in the Old Testament. Ira is one example.

Ira, which means "watchful" in Hebrew, was one of King David's thirty priests. As with many Biblical names, Ira has been used among Jews since ancient times and became popular among English-speakers during the Protestant Reformation.  

In the United States, Ira ranked in the top 100 through the 1890s and the top 200 through the 1920s. During that time, famous lyricist Ira Gershwin (1896-1983), was born. Other namesakes include politician Ira Allen (1751-1814), who founded the state of Vermont; and writer Ira Levin (1929-2007), who wrote novels like 1967's Rosemary's Baby. 

The name declined until leaving the top 1000 in 1993. Twenty-three years later, Ira returned to the top 1000 and has been slowly coming back since then. Ranking in the 800s, Ira still has a long way to go. 

Ira is a nickname-proof vintage name with Biblical roots. That makes it a potential substitute for popular choices like Ezra or Leo. 

STYLES:

Biblical, Compact, Vintage

SISTERS:

Dinah, Mae, Hattie, Edith, Pearl, Lula, Ada, Tillie

BROTHERS:

Amos, Roscoe, Clyde, Hugo, Edgar, Mack, Percy, Leon

ALTERNATIVES:

Clive, Cyrus, Hiram, Ike, Ilya, Ivo, Linus, Lyle

FURTHER RESOURCES:

"Ira." Names, Behind the Name, 22 Jan. 2019, https://www.behindthename.com/name/ira-1. 

Sandel, Abby. "Name of the Day: Ira." Appellation Mountain, 17 Jul. 2008, https://appellationmountain.net/name-of-the-day-ira/. 

What do you think about Ira?

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