| Priya | Ira | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Beloved, dear | the earth; goddess of speech |
| Origin | sanskrit | sanskrit |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | PREE-yah | EE-rah |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1969 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2014 (211) | 2025 (222) |
| In 2025 | 99 | 222 |
| Trend | Declining | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Priya | Ira |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 700 | 1,053 |
| 2010s | 1,650 | 980 |
| 2000s | 1,745 | 131 |
| 1990s | 1,342 | 96 |
| 1980s | 809 | 151 |
| 1970s | 308 | 191 |
| 1960s | 8 | 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 |
From the Sanskrit priya (priyā) meaning 'beloved, dear, cherished'. A well-established Indic 'beloved' root, also the basis of Priyanka.
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.
Ira is more popular than Priya today: about 222 US babies were given the name Ira in 2025, compared with 99 named Priya.
Priya means Beloved, dear (sanskrit origin), while Ira means the earth; goddess of speech (sanskrit origin).
In US records, Priya first appears in 1969 and Ira in 1880, so Ira has the longer recorded history.