Girl · Latin (from Greek) · International
Lyra
LyraSay it LIE-ruh
- Meaning
- A lyre; also the constellation Lyra Lewis & Short
- Say it
- LIE-ruh
Lyra
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Lyra meaning
Lyra is an international girl's name of Latin origin (from Greek).
A lyre; also the constellation Lyra
Lyra is the Latin word for the lyre, taken from Greek lyra. Lewis & Short describe it as a stringed instrument like the cithara, said in myth to have been invented by Mercury and given to Apollo, and use it also for lyric song and poetry and for the constellation Lyra, the Lyre, whose brightest star is Vega. The Online Etymology Dictionary notes that the Greek word was itself borrowed and its source is unknown. As a girl's name Lyra became known through Lyra Belacqua, the heroine of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials. It is said LIE-ruh, and Indian families may like its link with music, like Veena or Sargam.
Source: Lewis & Short, A Latin Dictionary (1879) · entry lyra · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Lewis & Short, lyra (Logeion) · Online Etymology Dictionary, lyre
Famous namesakes
- Lyra Belacqua, heroine of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials
- Lyra, the northern constellation that contains the star Vega
Popularity abroad
- #435 United States, girls 2025 (up 47 from 482 in 2024)
US Social Security Administration - #70 England and Wales, girls 2025
Office for National Statistics
Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.