Girl name · Greek
Lyra
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: lyreLyra is a girl's name that comes from Greek and means "lyre". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Lyre
- Origin
- Greek
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #435 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Lyra
As a girl's name, Lyra comes from Greek and means "lyre". It is used in English.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
Lyra on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Lyra on 3 lists.
“A small constellation shaped like a harp, or lyre”
From Female cat names, star and space names for girl cats
“A harp-shaped constellation with the bright star Vega”
From Girl dog names, unique female dog names
“Lyre; Greek, the harp-shaped constellation”
From Names that mean star, names of real stars, a constellation and the Pleiades
How popular is Lyra?
- US rank in 2025
- #435
- 711 babies, 442 per million girls
- Best rank
- #435 in 2025
- 711 babies that year
- Babies since 1893
- At least 8,095
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 5 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 4 per million |
| 1920s | 4 per million |
| 1930s | 1 per million |
| 1940s | 1 per million |
| 1950s | 1 per million |
| 1960s | 2 per million |
| 1970s | 7 per million |
| 1980s | 7 per million |
| 1990s | 5 per million |
| 2000s | 41 per million |
| 2010s | 174 per million |
| 2020s | 392 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #922 | #724 | #682 | #673 | #550 | #489 | #496 | #482 | #482 | #435 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Lyra
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- LyricOf the lyre (Greek, unisex)
Names spelled like Lyra
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- LaraRussian short form of Larisa (Latin, girl)
- LeraShort form of Valeriya, to be strong (Latin, girl)
- LylaVariant of Leila, night, or feminine form of Lyle (Arabic, girl)
- LauraLaurel tree (Latin, girl)
- LisaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- LunaThe moon (Latin, girl)
- LiaItalian, Portuguese and Greek form of Leah (Hebrew, girl)
- LydiaWoman from Lydia (Greek, girl)
- LaylaNight, from Arabic layl (Arabic, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- MahalathLyre (Hebrew, girl)
Middle names for Lyra
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Greek
- ElenaForm of Helen, probably from Greek torch (Greek, girl)
- IrenePeace, tranquility (Greek, girl)
- IrisA rainbow (Greek, girl)
- SofiaWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- SophieWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- ZoeLife, living (Greek, girl)
- AnastasiaResurrection, rising again (Greek, girl)
- ChristinaFollower of Christ (Greek, girl)
- NicoleVictory of the people (Greek, girl)
- PetraRock, stone (Greek, girl)
Lyra: common questions
What does the name Lyra mean?
Lyra comes from Greek and means "lyre". Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Lyra a boy or girl name?
Lyra is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Lyra come from?
Lyra comes from Greek and means "lyre". Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Lyra?
Lyra ranked #435 in the US in 2025, with 711 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Lyra?
Forms of Lyra with the same meaning and origin include Lyric (English).
What middle names go with Lyra?
Middle names that flow well with Lyra include Agnes, Alexandra, Blair, Celeste and Faith. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.