Żyrardów, initially a textile settlement, was named after French engineer and inventor Philippe de Girard, who worked in the area.

[1] The terrible working conditions and inequality of the cotton mills and textile industry in Żyrardów during the late 19th century, which was in Congress Poland (part of the Russian Empire) at the time, led to a massive strike started by the female workers employed there in 1883.

[4] They remain an essential element of Polish working class history, with various forms of media dedicated to them as well as street reenactments performed annually since 2004.

[6] During the invasion of Poland at the start of World War II, with the onset of dawn on September 12, 1939, units of the 8th German Army launched an attack on Żyrardów.

After several hours of fierce defence of the town, the Polish army had to leave their positions and start delaying actions towards Wiskitki, Guzów, Szymanów, and Paprotnia.

The Polish resistance organized a unit of the Union of Armed Struggle and Home Army in Żyrardów, under the cryptonym "Żaba" ("frog").

The city was named one of Poland's official national Historic Monuments (Pomnik historii), as designated 17 January, 2012.