Myra

♀ Girl

Pronounced MY-ruh /ˈmaɪ.rə/High

Meaning: Invented or popularized by the poet Fulke Greville in the 16th century, possibly as an anagram of Mary or an anglicized form of Greek Myrrha meaning myrrh; also may relate to Latin mirus meaning wonderfulMedium

In 30 seconds: A delicate two-syllable literary name possibly coined by the poet Fulke Greville, Myra has a soft mystery and classical poise that has made it a recurring quiet favorite.

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Origin MediumLatin, Greek, English

MeaningInvented or popularized by the poet Fulke Greville in the 16th century, possibly as an anagram of Mary or an anglicized form of Greek Myrrha meaning myrrh; also may relate to Latin mirus meaning wonderful

U.S. rank (2025)#663 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births429 girls (0.02% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1958

Total births (all-time)≈ 63,912

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Myra was used by English poet Fulke Greville in his sonnet sequence Caelica (written c. 1580s–1600s), where it functioned as a poetic name for his idealized beloved. It may have been coined as an anagram of Mary, or from Greek Myrrha (the daughter of Cinyras in Ovid, associated with myrrh), or from Latin mirus meaning wonderful. Its actual origin is debated.

Myra was popular in the English-speaking world in the 19th and early 20th centuries. In the United States it peaked around the 1910s–1920s and has been declining since, making it ripe for vintage revival. The name has a quiet, literary pedigree and a soft, two-syllable sound that sits naturally alongside Vera, Nora, and Clara. It has been slowly reviving in the 21st century.

Did you know? The 16th-century English poet Fulke Greville, 1st Baron Brooke, used Myra as the name for the beloved in his sonnet sequence Caelica — making Myra one of the earliest literary coinages to enter common use as a given name.

Overall data confidence 77%

Behind the Name — Myra — etymology and literary historyU.S. Social Security Administration — popularity data

Variations

MiraMyria

Nicknames

Famous Bearers

★Myra Hess (1890–1965)
British concert pianist and Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

If you like Myra…

Vera— shares the same short, elegant two-syllable vintage quality and similar vowel sound

Nora— fellow two-syllable vintage classic with the same gentle revival momentum

Clara— shares the same soft, antique femininity and the same quiet literary poise

Mira— closest variant sharing the same sound with a slightly more exotic feel

Frequently Asked

What does the name Myra mean?

Myra's meaning is uncertain; it may mean myrrh (from Greek Myrrha), wonderful (from Latin mirus), or it may be an anagram of Mary.

How do you pronounce Myra?

It is said MY-ruh /ˈmaɪ.rə/ — two syllables with stress on the first.

Where does the name Myra come from?

Myra was popularized by the 16th-century English poet Fulke Greville in his sonnet sequence Caelica; whether he coined it or found it elsewhere is unclear.

Is Myra a vintage name?

Yes — Myra peaked in the U.S. in the early 20th century and is now a gentle vintage classic being slowly rediscovered.