Girl · #4,551 in 2026

Irja

Irja is a given name. Notable people with the given name include:Irja Aav (1944–1995), Estonian actress Irja Askola, Finnish bishop in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland Irja Agnes Browallius (1901–1968), Swedish teacher, novelist and short story writer Irja Hagfors (1905–1988), Finnish dance artist, choreographer and dance teacher Irja Ketonen (1921–1988), Finnish media executive Irja…

Current Rank
#4,551
Peak Rank
#1,887 (1918)
Total Babies
156
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1910
First Year
1930
Last Year
1918
Peak Year
#1887
Peak Rank
156
Total Count
15
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Irja

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Irja is a given name. Notable people with the given name include:Irja Aav (1944–1995), Estonian actress Irja Askola, Finnish bishop in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland Irja Agnes Browallius (1901–1968), Swedish teacher, novelist and short story writer Irja Hagfors (1905–1988), Finnish dance artist, choreographer and dance teacher Irja Ketonen (1921–1988), Finnish media executive Irja…

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Irja

Irja first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1910, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1918, when 20 Irjas were born — ranking #1,887 that year. As of 2026, Irja ranks #4,551 for baby girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 156 Irjas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Irja

Phonetically similar names — useful when Irja is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Irja

What does the name Irja mean?
Irja is a given name. Notable people with the given name include:Irja Aav (1944–1995), Estonian actress Irja Askola, Finnish bishop in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland Irja Agnes Browallius (1901–1968), Swedish teacher, novelist and short story writer Irja Hagfors (1905–1988), Finnish dance artist, choreographer and dance teacher Irja Ketonen (1921–1988), Finnish media executive Irja…
How popular is Irja in 2026?
In 2026, Irja ranks #4,551 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Irja most popular?
Irja reached its peak popularity in 1918, ranking #1,887 that year with 20 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Irja most popular?
Irja has historically been most popular in Minnesota, Michigan. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Irja.
Is Irja a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Irja is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Irja?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Irja include Permelia, Hetty, Percy. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👧
Permelia
Peak #1887
👧
Hetty
Peak #1887
👧
Percy
Peak #1887
👧
Irean
Peak #1887
👧
Loveta
Peak #1887
👧
Magdeline
Peak #1887
👧
Matsue
Peak #1887
👧
Vonna
Peak #1887

About the name Irja

Irja is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1910 and has accumulated 156 births in the dataset. Irja's peak popularity came in 1918 when it ranked #1,887. Use the chart and map above to compare Irja's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.