The name Myra was created by the 17th-century

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...

Fulke Greville Fulke Greville, 1st Baron Brooke (; 3 October 1554 – 30 September 1628) was an Elizabethan poet, dramatist, and statesman who served in the House of Commons at various times between 1581 and 1621, when he was raised to the peerage. Greville ...

1st Barone Brooke (1554–1628). Its origins are unknown, though some speculate the created name is an

anagram An anagram is a word or phrase formed by rearranging the letters of a different word or phrase, typically using all the original letters exactly once. For example, the word ''anagram'' itself can be rearranged into the phrase "nag a ram"; which ...

of the name

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a female given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religion * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also called the Blesse ...

, a variant spelling of the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

word ''myrrha'', meaning ''

myrrh Myrrh (; from an unidentified ancient Semitic language, see '' § Etymology'') is a gum-resin extracted from a few small, thorny tree species of the '' Commiphora'' genus, belonging to the Burseraceae family. Myrrh resin has been used ...

,'' a fragrant

resin A resin is a solid or highly viscous liquid that can be converted into a polymer. Resins may be biological or synthetic in origin, but are typically harvested from plants. Resins are mixtures of organic compounds, predominantly terpenes. Commo ...

obtained from a

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, e.g., including only woody plants with secondary growth, only ...

, or derived from the

''mirari'', meaning ''

wonder Wonder may refer to: Arts and media Film * ''Wonder'' (film), a 2017 drama based on the R. J. Palacio novel * ''The Wonder'' (film), a 2022 drama based on the Emma Donoghue novel * Wonder, a character in the 2006 American family film ''Z ...

,'' the same source from which

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

derived the invented name Miranda.

Origin and meaning

* English meaning of the name Myra for a girl: poetic invention * Greek meaning of the name Myra for a girl:

, an aromatic shrub. Myra is associated with the same "myrrh" that, according to Matthew, was brought as a gift to the infant Jesus by the Magi, along with gold and frankincense. * Latin meaning of the name Myra for a girl: variation of Miranda, admirable, extraordinary * Arabic meaning of the name Myra for a girl : Aristocratic Lady * Hebrew meaning of the name Myra for a girl : Seadew * Biblical meaning of the name Myra for a girl : I flow, pour out, weep * Sanskrit meaning of the name Myra for a girl : Beloved, Favorable, Admirable. * Japanese Kanji meaning of the name Maira 舞良: 舞 means "dance."　良 means "good."

Distribution

The table below provides a detailed overview of the popularity of the female name ''Myra'' and variants of this in some of the countries where statistics are available.

People

Actresses

* Myra Turley, American actress *

Myra Keaton Myra Edith Keaton (née Cutler; March 13, 1877 – July 21, 1955) was an American vaudeville performer and film actress. She was the mother of actor Buster Keaton. Early life and career Myra Keaton was born on March 13, 1877, in Modale, I ...

(1877–1955), American actress *

Myra Hemmings Myra Lillian Davis Hemmings (August 30, 1895 – December 8, 1968) was an American actress and teacher, and a founder of Delta Sigma Theta sorority. Early life Myra Lillian Davis was born in Gonzales, Texas on August 30, 1895. Her parents were He ...

(1895–1968), American actress *

Myra Carter Myra Carter (October 27, 1929 – January 9, 2016) was an American stage, screen and television actress. Career Carter is most known for her work on stage and in particular the works of Edward Albee including the original casts of '' Three ...

(1930–2016), American actress *

Myra De Groot Myra Tania De Groot (4 July 1937 – 4 April 1988) was a British-born theatre and television actress, and agent. She performed in the United Kingdom, United States, New Zealand and Australia. Professional career De Groot was born in Westminste ...

(1937–1988), British actress *

Myra Frances Myra Frances ( Myra Frances Piddock; 13 April 1942 – 30 March 2021) was a British actress known for her role in the drama series ''Survivors'' and in ''Doctor Who''. Career In the 1974 ''Second City Firsts'' episode "Girl", Frances and Alison ...

(1943–2021), British actress * Myra McFadyen (1956–2024), Scottish actress * Myra Singh Indian child actress

Musicians

Myra Melford Myra Melford (born January 5, 1957) is an American avant-garde jazz pianist and composer. A 2013 Guggenheim Fellow, Melford was described by the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' as an "explosive player, a virtuoso who shocks and soothes, and who can m ...

(born 1957), American jazz pianist and composer * Myra Taylor (singer) (1917-2011), American jazz singer and songwriter *

Myra Hess Dame Julia Myra Hess, (25 February 1890 – 25 November 1965) was an English pianist best known for her performances of the works of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, and Brahms. Career Early life Julia Myra Hess was born on 25 February 189 ...

(1890–1965), British pianist * Myra Maimoh (born 1982), Cameroon singer * Myra Merritt, American operatic soprano * Myra Molloy (born 1997), Thai singer-songwriter and actress * Myra Mortimer (1894–1972), American contralto * Myra Brooks Turner (1936-2017), American composer and music educator * Myra Barnes, the birth name of

Vicki Anderson Vicki Anderson (born Myra Barnes; November 21, 1939 – July 3, 2023) was an American soul singer best known for her performances with the James Brown Revue. She recorded a number of singles under both her birth and stage names. She was the wi ...

(1939–2023), American soul singer

Politics

Myra Barry Myra Barry (born 30 June 1957) is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 1979 to 1987. A national school teacher by profession, she trained at St Patrick's College, Dublin. She was first elected to Dáil É ...

(born 1957), Irish Fine Gael politician * Myra Jehlen, American Board of Governors Professor of English at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey * Myra Virginia Simmons (1880-1965), American suffragist *

Myra Freeman Myra Ava Freeman (born May 17, 1949) is a Canadians, Canadian philanthropist, teacher, the List of lieutenant governors of Nova Scotia#Lieutenant Governors of Nova Scotia, 1867-present, 29th and first female Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia. ...

(born 1949), Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia * Myra Ndjoku Manianga, Congo politician * Myra McDaniel (1932-2010), the first African American to be the Secretary of State of Texas *

Myra Tanner Weiss Myra Tanner Weiss (May 17, 1917 – September 13, 1997) was an American Communist following Trotskyism, and a three time U.S. vice presidential candidate of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP). Biography Myra Tanner was born in Salt Lake City. Her ...

(1917–1997), American Trotskyist *

Myra Crownover Myra Ellen Robinson Crownover (born April 26, 1947) is a businesswoman and politician from Lake Dallas in Denton County, north of the city of Dallas. Originally elected in 2000 as a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives for Di ...

(born 1947), American politician * Myra C. Selby (born 1955), American former nominee to be a United States Circuit Judge * Myra Wolfgang (1914-1976), American labor leader and women's rights activist between the 1930s and 1970s * Myra Sadd Brown (1872-1938), British campaigner for women's rights, an activist and internationalist *

Myra Curtis Dame Myra Curtis DBE (2 October 1886 – 27 June 1971) was an editor, civil servant, and the Principal of Newnham College, Cambridge from 1942 to 1954. Early life Curtis was born on 2 October 1886 in Sunderland. She was the daughter of George ...

(1886–1971), British civil servant

Sports

* Myra Moller (born 1984), New Zealander cyclist * Myra Wood, American lawn bowls international * Myra Lakdawala, American-born former athlete for Pakistan * Myra Nimmo (born 1954), Scottish athlete and academic * Myra Blackwelder (born 1955), American professional golfer

Writers

Myra Schneider Myra Schneider (born 1936) is a British poet. She grew up in Scotland, London, and Sussex and read English at London University. She has worked for an educational publisher and as a teacher in a comprehensive school and a tutor to people with l ...

(born 1936), British poet * Myra Sklarew (born 1934), American poet, teacher and biologist * Myra Morris (1893-1966), Australian poet, novelist, and writer for children * Myra Taylor (scriptwriter) (1934-2012), British television scriptwriter *

Myra MacPherson Myra MacPherson (born 1934) is an American author, biographer, and journalist known for writing about politics, the Vietnam War, feminism, and death and dying. Although her work has appeared in many publications, she had a long affiliation with ...

(born 1934), American author * Myra Kelly (1875–1910), Irish-American author and schoolteacher *

Myra Nye Myra Sturtevant Nye (May 12, 1875 – January 28, 1955) was a writer, journalist, and clubwoman based in Southern California. She was the women's club editor and Hollywood columnist at the ''Los Angeles Times'' from 1919 to 1934. Early life Myra ...

(1875-1955), American writer * Myra Bairstow, American writer * Myra Bradwell (1831-1894), American publisher and political activist * Myra Douglas (1844–?), American writer, poet * Myra Sajid (born Sajid Zaki), Pakistani dramatist, playwright and scriptwriter * Myra Orth (1934-2002), American art historian * Myra Belle Martin (1861-?), American teacher, writer, and financier * Myra Bradwell Helmer Pritchard (1889-1947), American writer and golfer *

Myra Gale Brown Myra Gale Lewis Williams ( Brown; born July 11, 1944) is an American author, best known for her controversial marriage at the age of 13 to rock and roll musician Jerry Lee Lewis, who was her first cousin once removed and was 22 at the time. She ...

(born 1944), American author *

Myra Roper Myra Ellen Roper (1911–2002) was a British-born Australian educationalist, author, broadcaster, and expert on China. She was principal of University Women's College, at the University of Melbourne from 1947 to 1960. Roper wrote five books ab ...

(1911–2002), British-born Australian author and broadcaster

Other

* Myra MacDonald, Scottish journalist *

Myra Louise Bunce Myra Louise Bunce (1854–1919) was an English people, English designer, metalworker and painter associated with the Arts and Crafts movement and the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, Pre-Raphaelites. Family Bunce was born in Birmingham, Warwickshi ...

(1854–1919), English designer and painter * Myra Bennett (1890–1990), British celebrated nurse * Myra Albert Wiggins (1869–1956), American painter and pictorial photographer who became a member of the important early 20th century

Photo-Secession The Photo-Secession was an early 20th century movement that promoted photography as a fine art in general and photographic pictorialism in particular. A group of photographers, led by Alfred Stieglitz and F. Holland Day in the early 20th centur ...

movement * Myra Kukiiyaut (1929–2006), Inuk artist * Myra Landau (1926–2018), Romanian-born artist and abstract painter * Myra Juliet Farrell (1878–1957), Australian visionary, inventor and artist * Myra Louise Taylor (1881–1939), British nursing superintendent * Myra English (1933–2001), Hawaiian entertainer and celebrity tourism promoter *

Myra Hindley The Moors murders were a series of child killings committed by Ian Brady and Myra Hindley in and around Manchester, England, between July 1963 and October 1965. The victims were five children—Pauline Reade, John Kilbride, Keith Bennett, Lesl ...

(1942–2002), English serial killer, known as one of the perpetrators of the Moors murders * Myra Wilson, British computer scientist * Myra Soble (1904–1992), Russian spy * Myra Marx Ferree (born 1949), former professor of sociology and director of the Center for German and European Studies * Myra Hart, founder of Staples Inc. * Myra Kinch (1904–1981), American dancer * Myra Knox (1853–1915), Canadian-born American physician *

Myra Kraft Myra Hiatt Kraft (''née'' Myra Nathalie Hiatt; December 27, 1942 – July 20, 2011) was an American philanthropist and the wife of New England Patriots and New England Revolution owner Robert Kraft. Early life and education Kraft was born in W ...

(1942–2011), American philanthropist * Myra Shackley (born 1949), British professor * Myra Reynolds (1853–1936), American literary scholar * Myra Reynolds Richards (1882–1934), American sculptor and teacher *

Myra Sidharta Myra Sidharta (born Auw Jong Tjhoen Moy on 6 March 1927, Belitung) is an Indonesian writer, psychologist, and educator of Chinese descent. She specializes in Chinese Indonesian communities and Malay literature. In 2001, she published ''In Searc ...

(born 1927), Chinese psychologist * Myra B. Spafard (1864–1940), American artist * Myra Clark Gaines (1804–1885), American socialite and plaintiff *

Myra Kingman Myra Hunt Kingman (November 2, 1873 – June 28, 1922), for much of her adult life known as Myra Kingman Miller or Myra Kingman Merriman, was an American journalist and clubwoman, President of the National Federation of College Women from 1915 to ...

(1873–1922), American journalist *

Myra Smith Kearse Myra Smith Kearse (May 18, 1899 – February 14, 1982) was an American physician and community leader in New Jersey. Early life Myra Lyle Smith was born in Lynchburg, Virginia, the daughter of T. Parker Smith and Clara Alexander Smith. Her fath ...

(1899–1982), American physician and community leader in New Jersey * Myra Adele Logan (1908–1977), American physician, surgeon and anatomist who was the first woman to perform open heart surgery * Myra Butter (1925–2022), British aristocrat and thoroughbred racehorse owner * Myra Greene is an American photographer

Fictional characters

*Myra, a minor character in the ''Divergent'' books *

Myra Booth ''Coronation Street'' is a British soap opera, initially produced by Granada Television.Kemp, Abigail. ''60 Years of Coronation Street''. United Kingdom, Octopus, 2020. Created by writer Tony Warren, ''Coronation Street'' first broadcast on ...

, a character in TV series ''

Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' (colloquially referred to as ''Corrie'') is a British television soap opera created by ITV Granada, Granada Television and shown on ITV (TV network), ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres on a cobbled, terraced ...

'' *

Myra Breckinridge ''Myra Breckinridge'' is a 1968 satirical novel by Gore Vidal written in the form of a diary. Described by the critic Dennis Altman as "part of a major cultural assault on the assumed norms of gender and sexuality which swept the western world ...

, the name of the main character and 1968 novel by

Gore Vidal Eugene Luther Gore Vidal ( ; born Eugene Louis Vidal, October 3, 1925 – July 31, 2012) was an American writer and public intellectual known for his acerbic epigrammatic wit. His novels and essays interrogated the Social norm, social and sexual ...

*Myra Bruhl, a character in the play '' Deathtrap'' and in the film version with the same name *Myra Castellanos, a character in the video game series ''

The Evil Within ''The Evil Within'' is a 2014 survival horror, survival horror game developed by Tango Gameworks and published by Bethesda Softworks. It was directed by ''Resident Evil'' series creator Shinji Mikami. The game centers on protagonist Sebastian Ca ...

'' *Myra Driscoll Henshawe, a character in the 1926 novel '' My Mortal Enemy'' by Willa Carther *Myra Licht, a character in the BBC comedy series ''

Episodes Episodes may refer to: * Episode, a part of a dramatic work * Episodes (TV series), ''Episodes'' (TV series), a British/American television sitcom which premiered in 2011 * Episodes (journal), ''Episodes'' (journal), a geological science journal ...

'' *

Myra McQueen Myra McQueen is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', played by Nicole Barber-Lane. She made her first screen appearance during episode 1796, originally broadcast on 12 June 2006 and was introduced by produc ...

, a character in TV series ''

Hollyoaks ''Hollyoaks'' is a British soap opera which originally began airing on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was created by Phil Redmond, who had previously conceived the soap opera ''Brookside (TV series), Brookside''. From 2005 to 2023, episodes h ...

'' *Myra Menke, a character in the book ''Holes'' by Louis Sachar * Myra Monkhouse, a character in TV series ''

Family Matters ''Family Matters'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on ABC for eight seasons from September 22, 1989, to May 9, 1997, then moved to CBS for its ninth and final season from September 19, 1997, to July 17, 1998. A spin-of ...

'' *Myra Santelli, from the 2012 movie '' Girl vs. Monster'' *Myra Sokolov, a character in the animated series ''

Totally Spies! ''Totally Spies!'' is a French anime-influenced animated spy-fi series created by Vincent Chalvon-Demersay and David Michel mainly produced by French company Zodiak Kids & Family France, with seasons three to five being co-produced with Cana ...

References

{{given name English feminine given names Feminine given names