Shira is a Hebrew female name meaning “poetry” or “singing/song”. Shira is also a Jewish surname originating from the given name though it could also be an Americanized spelling of Shearer, an occupational name for someone who sheared sheep, or someone who used scissors to trim finished cloth or cut off any excessive fabric. The origin of the word comes from Middle English sheren, scheren (to cut; to slash or slice with a blade or sharp edge) via Proto-Germanic *skeraną (to shear) derived from PIE root *(s)ker- (to cut off; to turn). Shira is also a Japanese female name with a variety of meanings depending on the kanji used:
- shi 紫 “purple; violet” + ra 羅 “gauze; thin silk; Rome” (紫羅);
- shi 支 “branch; support, sustain” + ra 羅 “gauze; thin silk; Rome” (支羅);
- shi 慈 “mercy” + ra 良 “good, pleasing, skilled” (慈良);
- shi 蒔 “sow (seeds) + ra 羅 “gauze; thin silk; Rome” (蒔羅);
- shira 白 “white”
Written in hiragana it’s しら.
Origin: Hebrew, Proto-Indo-European, Japanese
Variants:
- Sheera (English)
