Ivo

Succinct, stylish, and catchy, Ivo has the energetic impact of other names ending in -o. It is a multicultural choice with two distinct origins, and, as such, is familiar across a variety of countries, ranging from the Netherlands to Brazil, from Portugal to Czechia.

On one hand, Ivo is a Germanic name, originally used as a short from of names including the element iwa, meaning "yew tree, yew wood", or more figuratively, "archer". As such, it's a cognate to French Yves, Cornish Ives, and the Scottish Ivor and Evander.

Alternatively, Ivo may be used as a diminutive to Ivan, a variation of John used across Russia, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, England, Bosnia, and beyond. In this case, it would mean "God is gracious".

Another source for the name is the Bulgarian Ivaylo (or Ivailo) meaning "wolf", while variations include the Latin American Evo, Polish Iwo, and Finnish Iivo.

Pronunciation of the name varies depending on country and region. EE-vo is typically used in German, Dutch, Italian, Serbian, and Croatian, IH-vo is heard in Czech and EE-voo is used in Portuguese. EYE-vo is also used among English speakers.

Borne by a number of French, Breton, and Cornish saints, more a more recent bearer is comedian Ivo Graham.

Despite its stylish sounds and multicultural appeal, Ivo has never appeared in the US Top 1000, and a recent year saw it given to 18 boys.

Pronounced EE-vo.

As of October 2026, Ivo ranked #7370 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #1167 in 1894, Nameberry popularity #320.