Meaning and background
The story behind Ira
Ira has two documented name histories with different pronunciations. The Hebrew-derived biblical name is interpreted as watchful and has an English reading beginning like eye. The Russian Ира is a shortened form of Irina and begins with an ee sound. Keeping these routes separate is more useful than assigning one sound and meaning to all Ira names. A dog’s intended language or family reference can make the choice clear.
- Origin
- Ira has a Hebrew name history meaning watchful and a separate Russian familiar form of Irina. Source
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About Ira
Recorded as a dog’s name
Ira appears in 13 dog licence records in the 2022 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/aɪɹə/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Other dictionary readings and notation
/aɪɹə/ · primary stress on syllable 1AY1 R AH0
/aɪɑɹeɪ/ · primary stress on syllable 3AY2 AA2 R EY1
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (3)
Dictionary readings have 2 or 3 syllables.
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
- City of Seattle Seattle Pet Licenses — DOG-only name aggregate, current source dated 6 October 2026 — Secondary spelling corroboration from dog-only licence rows. No cats, owner fields, national ranking or unique-dog claim.
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.