- 121
- people in the U.S. have this name Get contact details for people named Ira White
Meaning & Origins
Biblical name (meaning ‘watchful’ in Hebrew), borne by a character mentioned very briefly in the Bible, one of the chief officers of King David (2 Samuel 20:26). It was taken up by the Puritans in the 17th century, and is still occasionally used, mainly in the United States. It was famously borne by the lyricist Ira Gershwin (1896–1983).
| 899th in the U.S. for 2011 |
English, Scottish, and Irish: from Middle English whit ‘white’, hence a nickname for someone with white hair or an unnaturally pale complexion. In some cases it represents a Middle English personal name, from an Old English byname, Hwīt(a), of this origin. As a Scottish and Irish surname it has been widely used as a translation of the many Gaelic names based on bán ‘white’ (see Bain 1) or fionn ‘fair’ (see Finn 1). There has also been some confusion with Wight.
| 19th in the U.S. for 2011 |
Nicknames & variations
Ir, Iria, Irie, Ire, Iry, Iri, Iree, Iro, Iray, Irey
Whitaker, Whitehead, Whitney, Whitfield, Whitley, Whitman, Whittaker, Whittington, Whitlock, Whiting
Top state populations
U.S. Distribution Map
