Leire

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Girl · Basque place-name, uncertain

Leire

Say it: LAY-reh

Try it with your surname

Meaning

From the monastery of Leire (Leyre) in Navarre and the Virgin venerated there; the place-name is of uncertain origin.

Uncertainseveral explanations, none settled.

Its wave through time

Rare in the records

In the United States

60 babies given this name since 2012
At its height in 2018, about 1 in 113,000 girls
11 babies in 2020

Through the ages

The Modern Age1880 to today

Used by

The family of the name

Spanish	Leyre

Names worth a look

MirenGirlUsed as the Basque form of María since early 20th-century nationalist naming lists; how it was formed from María is…Modern

NereaGirlDisputed. Often explained as Basque nerea 'mine', but it may equally come from Greek Nereus and the sea-nymphs…Modern

EstibalizGirlFrom the sanctuary of Our Lady of Estíbaliz near Vitoria, patroness of Álava; the place-name is of uncertain origin.Modern

ItziarGirlFrom the Marian shrine of Itziar near Deba in Gipuzkoa; the place-name is of uncertain meaning.Modern

MaialenGirlBasque form of Magdalene, from Mary of Magdala, a town whose name means 'tower'.Modern

BegoñaGirlFrom the Basilica of Our Lady of Begoña in Bilbao, patroness of Biscay; the Basque place-name is of uncertain meaning.Victorian

LarryBoyA pet form of Lawrence, from Latin Laurentius 'from Laurentum'.Modern · peak 1947

LauraGirlUsually explained from Latin laurus 'laurel'; it may also be a short form of Laurentia.Middle Ages · peak 1968

Where this comes from

Calendars of saints and name days
National birth statistics of European countries source
United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source

Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.

Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.