Hebrew · Unisex name
Ira
“watchful, alert”
About the name Ira
Ira is a Hebrew name usually interpreted as ‘watchful’ or ‘alert’, from the Hebrew word ira. In the Hebrew Bible, Ira the Jairite was a chief minister of King David, described in the Second Book of Samuel as a priest to David, and two other men named Ira were among David’s mighty warriors. The name was adopted by English Puritans and later by Jewish families in America; the lyricist Ira Gershwin, brother of George Gershwin, is a notable bearer. It is used as a unisex name, and in Russian Ira is a girl’s short form of Irina.
- Meaning
- watchful, alert
- Origin
- Hebrew
- Gender
- Unisex
- Pronunciation
- EYE-rah(2 syl.)
Variants and spellings
No common variant spellings are widely recorded.
If you like Ira
Middle names for Ira
- Ira James
- Ira Lee
- Ira Alex
- Ira Taylor
- Ira Morgan
Questions about Ira
- What does Ira mean?
- Ira is a Hebrew name meaning "watchful, alert".
- How do you pronounce Ira?
- Ira is pronounced EYE-rah, with emphasis on the first syllable.
More names like this: Hebrew baby names