Can I name my baby Ira?

[phonemouse]

I live in the uk. We like the name Ira (pronounced Eye-ra).
It's a fairly popular name in the states and Australia but I am aware it has some other connotations.
Do you think honestly that it would be an issue?

God no - as a PP said they will be asked to spell it and meet incredulity.
All so probably lots of ‘up the ra’ jokes if they’re around bolder Irish people

This is true. The name Ira came first. Obviously words and names may have different implications in different cultures. OP should have the right to name her child the name she loves in an ideal world.

However I still probably wouldn't use it if you were going to be mainly living in the UK or Ireland. In other countries it would probably be fine. Even though the IRA is only an acronym and pronounced differently to Ira. There's so much emotion attached to that combination of letters here.

I don't think Ira is useable as a name in the UK or Ireland.

I'm not sure that it matters which came first - the name or the terrorist organisation. The association is definitely there, as evidenced by many posters above.

It matters when people comment about “naming children after a terrorist organisation”. When actually NO one has ever named their after The IRA. They’ve given their child a name that is fairly known and historic in their culture.?so it’s a ridiculous comment to make.

Eira is not pronounced the same as Ira.

@phonemouse

Eira pronounced the same as Ira is welsh for Snow and a beautiful baby name used in Wales x

If you are a Welsh speaker they absolutely are not said the same.

I am a welsh speaker and I say them the same, it depends which part of Wales you are from.

Eira is pronounced Eye Ra or Ay ra depending on where you're from. It's my number 1 girls name atm it's beautiful. So maybe use this spelling instead?

I think it's a difference between north and south wales? I'm from the south and say Eye ra. My friends from the north saying Ay Ra.

I love the name and love Aneira too but I already have a girl with a Welsh name that English people struggle to pronounce so not sure.

Thanks for all the replies. Still undecided to be honest.
I don't like the idea of adding letters as I feel it changes the name.
I do like the Welsh spellings, is that predominantly a female name though?

Lovely name, but not for UK.

I would never actively choose to give my child a provocative name that I knew could cause them issues (not saying it is right, as it truely is a beautiful name... but IRA evokes a lot of strong emotions)

I know two children of Pakistani origin with the name Aira, both pronounced I-rah and both girls.

It's a horrendous name.

I wouldn't in the UK.. how about Myra instead? Similar sound but different enough to not be problematic?

Apart from the serial killer called Myra Hindley? Maira is a nicer spelling.

I wouldn't in the UK.. how about Myra instead?

Seriously?

Hahahahaha I assume you’re kidding?

Especially not Myra in the U.K.

I find this really annoying. There are a number of lovely Irish boy's names ending with an a sound but my (Scottish) partner vetoed them in the grounds that they sounded like girl names 😔

How is it a longshot when it is literally the same letters?

It means ‘anger’ in Italian, that bothers me more than the IRA connection…

I know a 13 year old Ira
She is from India

Beautiful Hebrew name meaning “watchful”. Ira was one of King David’s warriors, who was sometimes described as “wise”

I think it’s a beautiful sounding name, that has a lovely meaning.
it’s growing in popularity but still very unusual - you may or may not like that.

Personally, I always find it ridiculous, and frankly sexist, when people say that make names that end in an “a” are “too feminine”. Why would it be undesirable for a boy/man to have a beautiful, lyrical name? I like unisex names generally though, and Ira is a name that is used for different sexes in different cultures.

i don’t see Ezra as an equivalent name - similar “genre” but it’s massively more popular (I predict it will be the like the Mark of this generation), harder sound, immediately makes me think of fascist poet Ezra Klein.