Irja

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Irja

Pronounced EER-yuh /ˈiːrjə/Medium

Meaning: Irja is a Finnish name usually traced to Irene, from Greek eirene meaning peace; in Finnish the j sounds like an English y, and the name carries that peaceful sense.Low

In 30 seconds: Irja is a Finnish girls' name usually linked to Irene, meaning peace. Said EER-yuh, it appeared for a small number of United States girls, chiefly in Finnish immigrant families.

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Origin MediumFinnish, Greek

MeaningIrja is a Finnish name usually traced to Irene, from Greek eirene meaning peace; in Finnish the j sounds like an English y, and the name carries that peaceful sense.

U.S. rank (1930)#4859 ↗ Rising

1930 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1918

Total births (all-time)≈ 156

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

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

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Irja reached American records mainly through Finnish immigrant families in the early twentieth century, appearing in a narrow window around the nineteen-tens and twenties. It is usually connected to Irene and its Greek root, peace, and reads as a distinctly Finnish heritage name.

It was never common in the United States, given to only a couple dozen girls a year at most, and its American run was brief. A girl named Irja then would be past a hundred today. The name stays closely tied to Finnish tradition and its peaceful meaning.

Did you know? In Finnish the letter j is pronounced like an English y, so Irja is said EER-yuh; the name has a namesake day on the Finnish calendar, a tradition Finland keeps for its names.

Overall data confidence 50%

References - Irja — Finnish name, usually linked to Irene, from Greek eirene, peace

Variations

IreneIrmaIrina

Nicknames

IraIriJa

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Irja…

Irene— the likely parent name

Eila— a same-era Finnish name

Irma— a comparable Ir- girls' name

Zenja— shares Irja's Greek roots

Maija— lands in the same popularity range

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Irja mean?

It is a Finnish name most often linked to Irene, from Greek eirene meaning peace.

How do you pronounce Irja?

It is said EER-yuh /ˈiːrjə/, two syllables with the stress on the first; the Finnish j sounds like y.

Is Irja a boy or girl name?

Irja is recorded as a girl's name.

How popular is Irja?

It has always been very rare in the United States, given to only a couple dozen girls a year during the nineteen-tens and twenties.