Eira - Name Meaning and Popularity -

Meaning of Eira

Eira, pronounced AY-rah (/ˈaɪrə/), originates from the Welsh lexeme for “snow,” a semantic root that evokes clarity and quiet resilience, and it occasionally intersects etymologically with the Old Norse name-element “Eir,” denoting mercy and alluding to the healing goddess of the same name in Scandinavian legend; together these strands confer upon the name a layered symbolism of purity and restorative strength. While firmly categorized as feminine in contemporary onomastic practice, Eira retains a concise phonetic profile that appeals to anglophone ears without losing its Celtic distinctiveness, thereby explaining its modest yet persistent presence in United States vital-statistics: since first appearing in federal records of the early 1980s, annual occurrences have hovered in the low double digits, culminating in 76 newborns and a rank of 874 in 2024. This gradual, almost glacial diffusion—neither meteoric nor stagnant—positions Eira as a choice that balances familiarity with rarity, allowing parents to invoke wintry imagery and mythological depth within an unmistakably modern soundscape.