Irmela

Irmela is a derived form of the traditional German name Irma. Its meaning is 'the all-encompassing' or 'the great' and is derived from the Old High German word 'irmin', which means 'all-encompassing, great, powerful'. The name Irmela was particularly commonly used in Germany in the first half of the 20th century.

What does the name Irmela mean?

As a diminutive form of the historical name Irma, Irmela means 'the all-encompassing' or 'the great'. The origin of the name can be found in Old High German, where 'irmin' stands for 'all-encompassing, great, powerful'. In the first half of the 20th century, Irmela was still relatively often used, but today the name is rarely found. Other diminutive forms of Irma include Irmeli and Irmelin.

Where does the name Irmela come from?

The name Irmela has its roots in Old High German and means 'the all-encompassing' or 'the great'. It is composed of the word 'ermen' or 'irmin', which in Old High German means 'all-encompassing, great, powerful'.

How do you pronounce Irmela?

The pronunciation of Irmela is three syllables and softly structured. The name is pronounced as 'Ir-me-la' [ɪʁˈmeːla], starting with a slightly rolled R sound that transitions into an open, stressed middle syllable. The final A gives the name a friendly and inviting sound. Irmela thus conveys a warm and approachable impression – down-to-earth, yet melodic and with a gentle, heartfelt note.

When is the name day of Irmela?

The name day for Irmela is celebrated on December 24th in honor of Saint Irmina of Oeren.

Popularity

In Germany, Irmela is a rather rare first name. In 2020, it ranked 4,158th on the list of the most common female first names. Its highest ranking was in 2012 at 1,609th. In the last ten years, Irmela has been given as a first name less than 10 times, placing it 9,317th in the ten-year statistics. Between 2010 and 2024, it ranks 5,475th.

Nicknames & pet names

Ila / Iri / Irla / Irmchen / Irme / Irmel / Irmelinchen / Irmi

Famous people

• Irmela Brender (writer, translator)
• Irmela Broniecki (fencer from Germany)
• Irmela Erckenbrecht (book translator and author)
• Irmela Hannover (German lawyer, television presenter, and non-fiction author)
• Irmela Hofmann (German pastoral worker and author)
• Irmela Lott (painter)
• Irmela Maier (artist from Germany)
• Irmela Mensah-Schramm (human rights activist. She became known for her documentation and removal of racist and anti-Semitic stickers and graffiti in Berlin.)
• Irmela von der Lühe (writer from Germany)
• Irmela Wendt (German children's book author and translator)