| Meera | Ira | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | the devotee Mirabai; sea, boundary | the earth; goddess of speech |
| Origin | sanskrit | sanskrit |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | MEE-rah | EE-rah |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1965 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2025 (246) | 2025 (222) |
| In 2025 | 246 | 222 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Meera | Ira |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,221 | 1,053 |
| 2010s | 1,561 | 980 |
| 2000s | 716 | 131 |
| 1990s | 424 | 96 |
| 1980s | 222 | 151 |
| 1970s | 89 | 191 |
| 1960s | 26 | 318 |
| 1950s | 0 | 553 |
| 1940s | 0 | 657 |
| 1930s | 0 | 657 |
| 1920s | 0 | 900 |
| 1910s | 0 | 652 |
| 1900s | 0 | 359 |
| 1890s | 0 | 255 |
| 1880s | 0 | 172 |
Best known for the 16th-century saint-poet Mirabai, devotee of Krishna. The word mira (मीरा) is glossed 'sea, ocean, boundary/limit'. Cross-cultural: Mira also means 'peace' in Slavic and occurs in Arabic and Latin naming.
From Sanskrit ira (इरा), 'the earth; waters; speech', and a name of the goddess of speech and learning (linked to Saraswati). Cross-cultural: Ira is also a Hebrew male name and a Slavic short form of Irina.
Meera is more popular than Ira today: about 246 US babies were given the name Meera in 2025, compared with 222 named Ira.
Meera means the devotee Mirabai; sea, boundary (sanskrit origin), while Ira means the earth; goddess of speech (sanskrit origin).
In US records, Meera first appears in 1965 and Ira in 1880, so Ira has the longer recorded history.