UK girl's name
Nyra
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "feminine light" or "illuminating".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Nyra is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Nyra popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #767, with 49 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2021, with 64 births.
This profile covers 391 England and Wales registrations across 13 recorded years from 1999 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 77% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 395 living people in the UK are called Nyra. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Nyra ranked #767 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 49 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2021, when 64 girls were registered as Nyra.
- • Nyra ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #749 in 2023.
- • About 395 living people in the UK are estimated to have Nyra as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#767
2024
Births in 2024
49
Latest year
Peak year
2021
64 births
Estimated living
395
2026
Meaning
What does Nyra mean?
The name Nyra has its origins in the Sanskrit language, which was spoken in ancient India. The name can be traced back to the 6th century BCE and is derived from the Sanskrit word "neer," which means "water." This suggests that the name Nyra may have been associated with water bodies or rivers in ancient Indian culture.
In Hindu mythology, there are references to a celestial river called the Nira, which is believed to be the source of all rivers on Earth. It is possible that the name Nyra was inspired by this mythological river, reflecting the importance of water in Indian culture and religious beliefs.
The earliest recorded use of the name Nyra can be found in ancient Indian texts and inscriptions from the Gupta Empire, which ruled over parts of the Indian subcontinent between the 4th and 6th centuries CE. One notable historical figure with this name was Nyra Devi, a queen consort of the Gupta Empire, who lived in the 5th century CE.
Throughout history, there have been several prominent individuals bearing the name Nyra. In the 12th century, Nyra Kanta was a renowned Sanskrit scholar and poet from India. Another notable figure was Nyra Mohini, a courtesan and dancer who lived in the 16th century during the Mughal Empire in India.
In the 19th century, Nyra Bai was a celebrated Indian classical dancer and courtesan who performed in the court of the Maratha ruler, Peshwa Baji Rao II. Her performances and contributions to the classical dance form of Kathak are still celebrated today.
Nyra Massie, born in 1921, was an American civil rights activist and educator who played a significant role in the desegregation of public schools in the United States during the mid-20th century.
While the name Nyra has its roots in ancient Indian culture and mythology, it has been embraced by various cultures and communities around the world over time, reflecting the diverse and rich tapestry of names found in different regions.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Nyra over time
The chart below shows babies named Nyra registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1999 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Nyra, the clearest high point is 2021. The latest England and Wales figure is 49 births in 2024, compared with 64 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nyra by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Nyra was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #694 | 273 | 5 |
| 2010s | #2546 | 111 | 6 |
| 2000s | #4564 | 4 | 1 |
| 1990s | #3900 | 3 | 1 |
Geography
Where Nyra is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Nyra. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Nyra ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #749 in 2023.
Across the UK
Nyra in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#749 in 2023
2 years of NRS records, 6 total registered
Related
Names similar to Nyra
- Niamh 20,347
- Nicole 19,687
- Natasha 15,578
- Nancy 12,607
- Naomi 12,199
- Natalie 10,885
- Nevaeh 7,869
- Nina 7,285
- Neve 7,180
- Natalia 7,099
- Nadia 6,032
- Nicola 4,927
FAQ
Nyra: questions and answers
How popular is the name Nyra in the UK right now?
In 2024, Nyra was ranked #767 for girls in England and Wales, with 49 births registered.
When was Nyra most popular?
The peak year on record was 2021, with 64 babies registered as Nyra in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Nyra?
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "feminine light" or "illuminating".
How many people are called Nyra in the UK?
A total of 391 babies have been registered as Nyra across the 13 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 6 more in Scotland.
Where is Nyra most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Nyra ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #749 in 2023. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.