1. The name Myra comes from the ancient port and capital city of
Lycia, now in modern day Turkey. The name was popularly associated with the Greek name for
myrrh (Greek for "bitter"), an aromatic resin obtained from a small thorny tree.
Myrrh was used widely for incense and fragrance, medicinal purposes, anointing the dead, and for flavoring wine. The city of Myra featured a large Greco-Roman amphitheater and once had a great temple to the goddess Artemis. The temple was later destroyed by the command of
St. Nicholas, a popular bishop at Myra in the 4th century AD. St. Nicholas was known for his charitable nature and humility. Several legends about him have been based on his kind and giving nature and have led to the development of Santa Claus. In another link to Christmas, the name Myra is associated with the same "myrrh" that, according to Matthew, was brought as a gift to the infant Jesus by
the Three Kings, along with gold and frankincense.
2. A witty, charming, mysterious female.