Irma

See also: irma, irmá, and irmã

English

Alternative forms

• Erma

Etymology

From German Irma in the nineteenth century. Short form of Germanic names beginning with irm(en)-, erm(en) "whole, entire", from Proto-Germanic *ermunaz. Cognate with English Emma.

Proper noun

Irma

1. A female given name from the Germanic languages.
   • 1939, Herbert Ernest Bates, The Flying Goat, Ulverscroft Large Print Books, published 1995, →ISBN, page 52:

     - - -, she thanked God for Irma: thanked God that Irma's hair was rich and beautiful, that she had the aristocratic richness of a name like Irma and not the common poverty of a name like May or Flo;

2. A village in Alberta, Canada.
3. A village in Lombardy, Italy.
4. An unincorporated community in Wisconsin.

Anagrams

• Rima, raim, rami, AMIR, Mari, Amir, Mira, RIMA, amir, mair, rima, Rami, RAIM, Mair

Albanian

Proper noun

Irma f

1. a female given name

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈɪrma]

Proper noun

Irma f

1. a female given name, equivalent to English Irma

Declension

Declension of Irma (hard feminine reducible)

	singular	plural
nominative	Irma	Irmy
genitive	Irmy	Irem
dative	Irmě	Irmám
accusative	Irmu	Irmy
vocative	Irmo	Irmy
locative	Irmě	Irmách
instrumental	Irmou	Irmami

Danish

Proper noun

Irma

1. a female given name of German origin

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from German Irma.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɪr.maː/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Ir‧ma

Proper noun

Irma f

1. a female given name

Estonian

Proper noun

Irma

1. a female given name of German origin

Faroese

Proper noun

Irma f

1. a female given name

Usage notes

Matronymics

• Irma's son: Irmuson
• Irma's daughter: Irmudóttir

Declension

	singular
	indefinite
nominative	Irma
accusative	Irmu
dative	Irmu
genitive	Irmu

Finnish

Etymology

From German Irma in the 19th century.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈirmɑ/, [ˈirmɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -irmɑ
• Syllabification^(key): Ir‧ma
• Hyphenation^(key): Ir‧ma

Proper noun

Irma

1. a female given name

Declension

Inflection of Irma (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)
nominative		Irma	Irmat
genitive		Irman	Irmojen
partitive		Irmaa	Irmoja
illative		Irmaan	Irmoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		Irma	Irmat
accusative	nom.	Irma	Irmat
	gen.	Irman
genitive		Irman	Irmojen Irmain rare
partitive		Irmaa	Irmoja
inessive		Irmassa	Irmoissa
elative		Irmasta	Irmoista
illative		Irmaan	Irmoihin
adessive		Irmalla	Irmoilla
ablative		Irmalta	Irmoilta
allative		Irmalle	Irmoille
essive		Irmana	Irmoina
translative		Irmaksi	Irmoiksi
abessive		Irmatta	Irmoitta
instructive		—	Irmoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of Irma (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Irmani Irmani accusative nom. Irmani Irmani gen. Irmani genitive Irmani Irmojeni Irmaini rare partitive Irmaani Irmojani inessive Irmassani Irmoissani elative Irmastani Irmoistani illative Irmaani Irmoihini adessive Irmallani Irmoillani ablative Irmaltani Irmoiltani allative Irmalleni Irmoilleni essive Irmanani Irmoinani translative Irmakseni Irmoikseni abessive Irmattani Irmoittani instructive — — comitative — Irmoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Irmasi Irmasi accusative nom. Irmasi Irmasi gen. Irmasi genitive Irmasi Irmojesi Irmaisi rare partitive Irmaasi Irmojasi inessive Irmassasi Irmoissasi elative Irmastasi Irmoistasi illative Irmaasi Irmoihisi adessive Irmallasi Irmoillasi ablative Irmaltasi Irmoiltasi allative Irmallesi Irmoillesi essive Irmanasi Irmoinasi translative Irmaksesi Irmoiksesi abessive Irmattasi Irmoittasi instructive — — comitative — Irmoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Irmamme Irmamme accusative nom. Irmamme Irmamme gen. Irmamme genitive Irmamme Irmojemme Irmaimme rare partitive Irmaamme Irmojamme inessive Irmassamme Irmoissamme elative Irmastamme Irmoistamme illative Irmaamme Irmoihimme adessive Irmallamme Irmoillamme ablative Irmaltamme Irmoiltamme allative Irmallemme Irmoillemme essive Irmanamme Irmoinamme translative Irmaksemme Irmoiksemme abessive Irmattamme Irmoittamme instructive — — comitative — Irmoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Irmanne Irmanne accusative nom. Irmanne Irmanne gen. Irmanne genitive Irmanne Irmojenne Irmainne rare partitive Irmaanne Irmojanne inessive Irmassanne Irmoissanne elative Irmastanne Irmoistanne illative Irmaanne Irmoihinne adessive Irmallanne Irmoillanne ablative Irmaltanne Irmoiltanne allative Irmallenne Irmoillenne essive Irmananne Irmoinanne translative Irmaksenne Irmoiksenne abessive Irmattanne Irmoittanne instructive — — comitative — Irmoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative Irmansa Irmansa accusative nom. Irmansa Irmansa gen. Irmansa genitive Irmansa Irmojensa Irmainsa rare partitive Irmaansa Irmojaan Irmojansa inessive Irmassaan Irmassansa Irmoissaan Irmoissansa elative Irmastaan Irmastansa Irmoistaan Irmoistansa illative Irmaansa Irmoihinsa adessive Irmallaan Irmallansa Irmoillaan Irmoillansa ablative Irmaltaan Irmaltansa Irmoiltaan Irmoiltansa allative Irmalleen Irmallensa Irmoilleen Irmoillensa essive Irmanaan Irmanansa Irmoinaan Irmoinansa translative Irmakseen Irmaksensa Irmoikseen Irmoiksensa abessive Irmattaan Irmattansa Irmoittaan Irmoittansa instructive — — comitative — Irmoineen Irmoinensa

Related terms

• Irmeli

Statistics

• Irma is the 84^th most common female given name in Finland, belonging to 8,929 female individuals (and as a middle name to 1,065 more), according to August 2025 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.

Anagrams

• Armi, Mari, Mira, Rami, armi, mari, rami, rima

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /iʁ.ma/

Proper noun

Irma f

1. a female given name, equivalent to English Irma

German

Etymology

Short form of female compound given names beginning with the Germanic element irm(en)-, erm(en) "whole, entire". Made popular through nineteenth century German fiction.

Pronunciation

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

Proper noun

Irma

1. a female given name
   • 1865 Berthold Auerbach, Auf der Hohe (translated as On the Heights by Simon Adler Stern):

     Die Angst gewann die Uebermacht, und wie ein Hülfeschrei aus der Tiefe rang sich von die Lippen der Königin der Ruf los: "Irma! Irma!" und Irma! Irma! tönte es wieder und wieder von den Bergen. Die weite Welt ringsum rief den Namen Irma...

     Fear gained the mastery and, with a wailing shriek for help, she cried out: "Irma! Irma!" and "Irma, Irma" was echoed again and again from the mountains. The whole world was shouting Irma's name.

Related terms

• Irmgard
• Irmela, Irmelin

Latvian

Etymology

First recorded as a given name of Latvians in 1888. From German Irma.

Proper noun

Irma f

1. a female given name

References

• Klāvs Siliņš: Latviešu personvārdu vārdnīca. Riga "Zinātne" 1990, →ISBN
• [1] Population Register of Latvia: Irma was the only given name of 803 persons in Latvia on May 21st 2010.

Lithuanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [¹ˈɪrmɐ]
• Rhymes: -ɪrmɐ
• Syllabification: i̇̀r‧ma

Proper noun

Irma f

1. a female given name

Slovak

Etymology

Derived from German Irma.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /irma/, [ˈirma]
• Rhymes: -irma
• Hyphenation: Ir‧ma

Proper noun

Irma f (diminutive Irmuška)

1. a female given name

Declension

Declension of Irma
(pattern žena)

	singular	plural
nominative	Irma	Irmy
genitive	Irmy	Iriem
dative	Irme	Irmám
accusative	Irmu	Irmy
locative	Irme	Irmách
instrumental	Irmou	Irmami

Derived terms

Hypocoristics

• Irmuľa
• Irmuša

Further reading

• “Irma”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2026

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈiɾma/ [ˈiɾ.ma]
• Rhymes: -iɾma
• Syllabification: Ir‧ma

Proper noun

Irma f

1. a female given name, equivalent to English Irma

Swedish

Etymology

From German Irma. First recorded in Sweden in 1868.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Proper noun

Irma c (genitive Irmas)

1. a female given name

Anagrams

• Mari