Lir
Lir or Ler is a sea god in Irish mythology. His name suggests that he is a personification of the sea, rather than a distinct deity. He is named Allód in early genealogies, and corresponds to the Llŷr of Welsh mythology. Lir is chiefly an ancestor figure, and is the father of the god Manannán mac Lir, who appears frequently in medieval Irish literature.
- Irish Mythology
Meaning & Origin of Lir
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Lir or Ler is a sea god in Irish mythology. His name suggests that he is a personification of the sea, rather than a distinct deity. He is named Allód in early genealogies, and corresponds to the Llŷr of Welsh mythology. Lir is chiefly an ancestor figure, and is the father of the god Manannán mac Lir, who appears frequently in medieval Irish literature.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Irish Mythology
The Story of Lir
American parents first put Lir on the record books as a baby boy name in 2017, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2023, when 8 Lirs were born — ranking #8,914 that year. About 79% of every Lir on record arrived during the 2020s, its defining decade. Lir last appeared in the published SSA data in 2023, with 8 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 24 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 2010s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Lir
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Lir. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Ler
Names that sound like Lir
Phonetically similar names — useful when Lir is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Lier
- Lear
- Leer
- Leir
- Lyr
- Leere
- Llyr
- Lair
- Lare
- Laire
- Lere
- Lehr
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Lir
What does the name Lir mean?
What is the origin of the name Lir?
How popular is Lir in 2026?
When was Lir most popular?
Is Lir a unisex name?
What names go well with Lir?
What are nicknames or variants of Lir?
About the name Lir
Lir is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2017 and has accumulated 24 births in the dataset. Lir's peak popularity came in 2023 when it ranked #8,914. Use the chart and map above to compare Lir's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2023 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "L" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.