Girl's name
Lyra
Say it LEER-uh
Greek origin 2 syllables
Where Lyra is loved, common and rare
Common in England and Wales. Rare in Scotland, Canada, Ireland and nine more places.
1 in 394 girls born in England and Wales in 2025
England and Wales 70thScotland 106thBritish Columbia 187th
LovedCommonRare
Every place
In 14 of the 40 official lists, among them England and Wales (70th), Scotland (106th) and British Columbia (187th).
Show all 14 placesShow less
| Place | Rank | Girls | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 70th 2025 | 643 | 1 in 394 |
| Scotland | 106th 2025 | 42 | 1 in 426 |
| British Columbia province | 187th 2023 | 16 | about 1 in 747 |
| Ireland | 213th 2025 | 20 | 1 in 1,056 |
| Northern Ireland | 334th 2025 | 4 | 1 in 1,822 |
| Sweden | 421st 2025 | 16 | about 1 in 2,511 |
| Ontario province | 527th 2024 | 24 | about 1 in 2,269 |
| France | 589th 2025 | 70 | 1 in 4,097 |
| Catalonia region | 604th 2025 | 4 | 1 in 4,818 |
| Berlin city | 757th 2023 | 3 | about 1 in 4,835 |
| The Netherlands | 907th 2025 | 11 | about 1 in 5,547 |
| Austria | 1026th 2025 | 3 | 1 in 11,907 |
| Switzerland | 1168th 2025 | 4 | 1 in 8,498 |
| Italy | 2199th 2024 | 3 | 1 in 59,723 |
Rare, below the listed names: Quebec, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, New Zealand, Munich, Cologne, Bonn, Leipzig, Rostock, Norway, Spain, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia and Israel.
Not in a short top list, so no figure: Nova Scotia (top 21), Denmark (top 50), Finland (top 50), Iceland (top 10), Estonia (top 25), Moscow (top 61), Turkey (top 30), Argentina (top 20) and Croatia (top 50).
Germany publishes no national statistics on first names. German figures here are city lists (Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Bonn, Leipzig, Rostock), never the country.
Sources: Office for National Statistics (England and Wales); National Records of Scotland (Scotland); BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (British Columbia); Central Statistics Office (CSO) (Ireland); NISRA (Northern Ireland); Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency) (Sweden); Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (Ontario); INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (France); Idescat (Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya) (Catalonia); BerlinOnline GmbH; Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten (LABO) / Standesämter (Berlin); Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) (the Netherlands); Statistik Austria (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1) (Austria); Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS) / Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS) (Switzerland); ISTAT, Contanomi (Italy). How we count, and every source
About the name
Lyra comes through Latin from the Ancient Greek lúra, 'a lyre', which is also the name of the constellation Lyra. No further meaning is recorded, so it is best understood as a name taken from the musical instrument and the stars.
Read the restShow less
Two syllables, said LEER-uh, with the stress on the first. Lira is the alternative spelling.
It is rising in nine regions and falling in none. England and Wales is its strongest home, where it is a top-70 name, and it is also popular in Scotland and British Columbia. It appears in Sweden, France and Catalonia too. French records show it reaching its highest point so far in 2025, so it is a new name that is still gaining ground.
Meaning, origin, pronunciation
- Pronounced
- LEER-uh, 2 syllables
- Origin
- Greek
- Other spellings
- Lira
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin Lyra/lyra, from Ancient Greek λύρα (lúra, “a lyre; the constellation Lyra”). Doublet of lira, lyra, and lyre.
From the Wiktionary entry, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened.
Over time
Over five years: rising in 9 of 10 regions, falling in none.
Show the yearsShow less
Rank in each place since 1996; higher on the chart is more popular.
Ten years of ranks
Her rank each year, English-speaking regions first. A blank means no published rank for her that year.
| Region | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 212 | 183 | 142 | 150 | 92 | 80 | 78 | 80 | 83 | 70 |
| Scotland | 413 | 178 | 244 | 237 | 186 | 145 | 173 | 204 | 108 | 106 |
| Northern Ireland | 446 | 354 | 302 | 407 | 334 | |||||
| Ireland | 873 | 734 | 716 | 294 | 242 | 266 | 296 | 223 | 213 | |
| Ontario | 754 | 467 | 519 | 780 | 499 | 284 | 343 | 456 | 527 | |
| British Columbia | 513 | 518 | 370 | 331 | 390 | 352 | 159 | 187 | ||
| Quebec | 927 | 715 | 584 | 534 | ||||||
| France | 2023 | 1692 | 1270 | 1227 | 905 | 695 | 737 | 745 | 769 | 589 |
| The Netherlands | 1016 | 907 | ||||||||
| Switzerland | 1458 | 985 | 1512 | 913 | 1559 | 686 | 818 | 874 | 893 | 1168 |
| Berlin | 1432 | 484 | 969 | 757 | ||||||
| Rostock | 199 | |||||||||
| Sweden | 572 | 586 | 610 | 394 | 421 |
England and Wales, 1999 to 2025
| Year | Rank | Girls | per 100,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 70 | 643 | 253.9 |
| 2024 | 83 | 573 | 222.1 |
| 2023 | 80 | 593 | 231.1 |
| 2022 | 78 | 641 | 243.3 |
| 2021 | 80 | 630 | 229.9 |
| 2020 | 92 | 559 | 208.3 |
| 2019 | 150 | 342 | 122.1 |
| 2018 | 142 | 362 | 125.6 |
| 2017 | 183 | 293 | 98.0 |
| 2016 | 212 | 248 | 80.7 |
| 2015 | 222 | 235 | 76.3 |
| 2014 | 205 | 261 | 85.1 |
| 2013 | 218 | 236 | 76.5 |
| 2012 | 255 | 192 | 59.6 |
| 2011 | 327 | 147 | 45.7 |
| 2010 | 372 | 122 | 38.0 |
| 2009 | 304 | 152 | 48.5 |
| 2008 | 510 | 76 | 24.1 |
| 2007 | 793 | 41 | 13.4 |
| 2006 | 753 | 41 | 13.7 |
| 2005 | 790 | 36 | 12.5 |
| 2004 | 1252 | 18 | 6.3 |
| 2003 | 1843 | 10 | 3.6 |
| 2002 | 2105 | 8 | 3.0 |
| 2001 | 2783 | 5 | 1.9 |
| 1999 | 3900 | 3 | 1.1 |
Sources: Office for National Statistics (1996-2025), OGL v3.
France since 1925
Half of the babies named Lyra in France since 1925 were born in or after 2020. First recorded in 2003. Her peak year there: 2025, at 24.4 per 100,000 girls.
Babies named Lyra per 100,000 girls born in France, by five-year period.
Sources: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (1900-2025), Licence Ouverte / Etalab 2.0.
Sister names for Lyra
1 in 1,041 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Lyra.
1 in 1,118 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Lyra. Same first letter as Lyra.
1 in 106 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Lyra.
1 in 473 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Lyra.
1 in 700 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Lyra.
1 in 438 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Lyra.
1 in 636 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Lyra.
1 in 662 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Lyra.
1 in 280 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Lyra.
1 in 383 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Lyra. Same first letter as Lyra.
Similar forms, not dealt separately: Lyla.
Middle names for Lyra
1 in 57 in Northern Ireland
Lyra Grace
2-1 beats · initials LG
Changes the beat after Lyra: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 71 in Scotland
Lyra Olivia
2-4 beats · initials LO · Lyra slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Lyra: 2 syllables, then 4 syllables. Lyra slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 99 in Scotland
Lyra Sophia
2-3 beats · initials LS
Changes the beat after Lyra: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 311 in Ireland
Lyra Maria
2-3 beats · initials LM
Changes the beat after Lyra: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 214 in Northern Ireland
Lyra Rose
2-1 beats · initials LR
Changes the beat after Lyra: 2 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 78 in Northern Ireland
Lyra Emily
2-3 beats · initials LE · Lyra slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Lyra: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables. Lyra slides into Emily: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 491 in Ireland
Lyra Julia
2-3 beats · initials LJ
Changes the beat after Lyra: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
1 in 1,286 in England and Wales
Lyra Miriam
2-3 beats · initials LM
Changes the beat after Lyra: 2 syllables, then 3 syllables.
Same style as Lyra
Names whose popularity rose and fell with hers across regions and decades.
1 in 183 in Scotland
96% alike: moves with Lyra across countries and decades.
1 in 473 in England and Wales
94% alike: moves with Lyra across countries and decades.
1 in 716 in Scotland
94% alike: moves with Lyra across countries and decades.
1 in 600 in England and Wales
94% alike: moves with Lyra across countries and decades.
1 in 1,193 in Scotland
94% alike: moves with Lyra across countries and decades.
1 in 942 in Scotland
93% alike: moves with Lyra across countries and decades.
1 in 1,151 in England and Wales
93% alike: moves with Lyra across countries and decades.
1 in 320 in Scotland
93% alike: moves with Lyra across countries and decades.
Famous people named Lyra
Lyra McKee.
Show who she isShow less
-
Northern Irish journalist (1990-2019)
People: Wikidata (CC0), linked to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists.
Questions about Lyra
4 questions, on how popular she is, how to say it, whether she is rising and sister names.
Show all 4 questionsShow less
How popular is Lyra?
Her best rank is No. 70 in England and Wales in 2025, about 1 in 394 girls. She is in the published lists of 14 of our 40 regions.
How do you pronounce Lyra?
LEER-uh, with 2 syllables.
Is Lyra getting more popular?
Over five years: rising in 9 of 10 regions, falling in none.
Which sister names go with Lyra?
The deck's top five sisters for Lyra: Gianna, Lexi, Maisie, Anaya and Wren. Each is scored on style, era, popularity and origin, with sound clashes flagged.