Myra
MEYE-ruh
Myra is an invented name created in the 17th century by the English poet Fulke Greville (1554-1628), who used it in his sonnet sequences.
He likely adapted it from the Greek myrrha, the aromatic resin, or from the Latin Myra, an ancient city in Lycia (now Turkey), or as a feminine form of Myron (from Greek myron, “myrrh oil”).
Myra, the ancient city in Lycia, was the seat of Saint Nicholas of Myra (the historical basis for Santa Claus), adding a layer of Christian geographic significance to the name.
What the name Myra means
The aromatic meaning from myrrh—one of the three gifts of the Magi—gives it biblical resonance.
Myra first appeared in US SSA data at No. 158 in 1880 with just 83 births. In 2024 it ranks No. 646 with 453 births—a dramatic increase in raw numbers reflecting a current revival.
Pianist Myra Hess (1890-1965) performed famous wartime concerts at London’s National Gallery during World War II, a celebrated act of cultural resilience. The name carries a layer of serious artistic dignity from her legacy.
Two syllables—MY-ruh—are clean and assertive. The long initial vowel and the soft close give it a confident simplicity shared by similarly short vintage names.
Parents rediscovering Myra appreciate its literary invention, its ancient city namesake, and its place in the wave of short, vowel-opening vintage names—like Vera, Nora, and Clara—returning to favour.
Related names include Mira (from Latin and Sanskrit, different roots), Myron (the masculine form), Moira (Irish, different origin), and the literary cousins Celia and Stella from the same 17th-century poetic tradition.
US popularity over time
Numerology and symbolism
Based on Pythagorean numerology — a traditional system linking name letters to numbers. Presented for cultural interest.
Famous people named Myra
Myra - similar names
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