The Lira surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 14,758 people carried this name — #2,447 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 20,000 people counted. That is up 39% from 10,655 in 2000.
Where the name comes from
The origin of the Lira surname
From Latin lyra.
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Lira» (Spanish), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 2,063 people named Lira live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Mendoza.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In Poland’s population register
98 people named Lira have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 163 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 9 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Greater Poland.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
68 people named Lira live in Switzerland.
They live in 11 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in St. Gallen.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 53 people named Lira.
15 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 12 départements, most often Isère.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In print
Lira in American newspapers,
1843–1941.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 982,767 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Lira,
with a public archive behind them.
-
José Ramón Lira 1807–1875 · lawyer -
José Pereira Lira 1899–1985 · lawyer -
Benedito de Lira 1941–2025 · politician -
Elizabeth Lira 1944– · writer -
Alicia Lira 1950– · human rights defender
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 78 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Lira.
When the index is not enough
This page says where Lira is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.