Fun Facts About the Name Lyra
- More than 8 thousand babies named Lyra: U.S. records list 8,089 babies given the name Lyra from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Lyra Mean?
Lyra comes from the Greek word λύρα (lyra), the name of a stringed instrument, the lyre. That Greek word is the direct source of Latin lyra and of English lyre, and it also underlies lyric (Greek lyrikos, "of the lyre"), since Greek lyric poetry was verse sung to the lyre. The recorded meaning of the name is therefore literal: "lyre." The deeper origin of the Greek word itself is not settled; it may have been borrowed into Greek from an older, non-Greek Mediterranean language, but no donor language has been identified with confidence.
Lyra Name History & Origins
The Greek word λύρα is old in Greek literature. The Homeric Hymn to Hermes tells how Hermes made the first lyre from a tortoise shell, and the instrument became associated with Apollo and, above all, with Orpheus. Greek astronomy placed Orpheus's lyre in the sky, and the constellation Lyra, which contains the bright star Vega, was catalogued under that name by Ptolemy in the Almagest in the second century. Latin took the word over unchanged as lyra, and European star maps kept the name.
The same Greek word is still used for a traditional instrument: the Cretan lyra, a small bowed instrument, is a well-known folk instrument of Crete. This shows the word's continuous life in Greek, separate from its use as a personal name.
As a given name, Lyra is chiefly modern and has been uncommon; it appears in modern English-speaking use and is familiar from the character Lyra Belacqua in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials (1995 - 2000), a literary use of a name that already existed as the term for the instrument and the constellation. Lyra is also found as a surname, particularly in Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking regions. Despite the similar sound, it is not related to the Arabic name Layla or to Lara.
How Popular is the Name Lyra?
Lyra recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2025. Its best rank was #435 in 2025.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #435 | 711 | 0.0442% |
| 2024 | #482 | 638 | 0.0395% |
| 2023 | #482 | 638 | 0.0398% |
| 2022 | #496 | 637 | 0.0389% |
| 2021 | #489 | 643 | 0.0392% |
| 2020 | #549 | 543 | 0.0336% |
| 2019 | #673 | 431 | 0.0257% |
| 2018 | #682 | 429 | 0.0252% |
| 2017 | #724 | 396 | 0.0229% |
| 2016 | #922 | 298 | 0.0168% |
| 2015 | #977 | 276 | 0.0155% |
| 2014 | #1,045 | 249 | 0.0139% |
| 2013 | #1,002 | 250 | 0.0142% |
| 2012 | #1,028 | 247 | 0.0140% |
| 2011 | #1,027 | 243 | 0.0138% |
| 2010 | #1,124 | 219 | 0.0123% |
| 2009 | #1,097 | 233 | 0.0127% |
| 2008 | #1,257 | 200 | 0.0106% |
| 2007 | #2,736 | 67 | 0.0035% |
| 2006 | #2,835 | 62 | 0.0033% |
| 2005 | #3,152 | 50 | 0.0027% |
| 2004 | #3,370 | 45 | 0.0025% |
| 2003 | #4,888 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 2002 | #4,455 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 2001 | #4,277 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 2000 | #5,844 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1999 | #6,092 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1998 | #10,721 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1997 | #6,686 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1996 | #6,598 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1995 | #8,470 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1993 | #7,312 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1992 | #14,587 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #10,902 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1989 | #8,455 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1988 | #7,464 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1987 | #7,744 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1986 | #8,178 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1985 | #7,310 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1984 | #7,839 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1983 | #7,738 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1982 | #5,095 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1981 | #4,095 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1980 | #3,936 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 1979 | #7,068 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1978 | #6,703 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1977 | #5,394 | 12 | 0.0008% |
| 1976 | #5,068 | 12 | 0.0008% |
| 1975 | #5,027 | 12 | 0.0008% |
| 1974 | #3,960 | 16 | 0.0011% |
| 1973 | #9,195 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1972 | #3,817 | 16 | 0.0011% |
| 1971 | #5,812 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1970 | #6,119 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1968 | #5,986 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1967 | #7,412 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1966 | #4,362 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1963 | #4,748 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1960 | #5,011 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1958 | #6,646 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1956 | #5,117 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1952 | #4,755 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1948 | #3,768 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1947 | #5,783 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1946 | #4,768 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1932 | #4,208 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1930 | #4,974 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1928 | #2,462 | 14 | 0.0012% |
| 1927 | #4,609 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1926 | #4,628 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1923 | #4,742 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1921 | #3,074 | 11 | 0.0009% |
| 1919 | #3,359 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1917 | #3,571 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1915 | #3,313 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1914 | #3,453 | 6 | 0.0008% |
| 1894 | #1,618 | 5 | 0.0022% |
| 1893 | #1,560 | 5 | 0.0023% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore More Lists with Name Lyra
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with L
Unique Short Girl Names That Start with L
How the Name Lyra Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You always bring to completion anything you start. You are generous but like to see returns from your giving. You have an executive ability, you are a leader. You are moral, balanced, honest and intellectual, and you may attain spirituality. You are wise and practical with an appreciation of beauty. You always think before you act. You are inventive, intuitive and extremely methodical. Since your will is so strong, you are hard to convince. You also dislike advice. You love beauty and philosophy, and you desire achievement. You have a strong need for freedom - physical, mental and spiritual.
You are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Lyra's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Lyra's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.