Iris
Top 1000
About Iris
Iris has so much going for it. It's a fashionable flower name. It's a mythological name, from the Greek goddess of the rainbow. And it's a classic name, always ranking in the girls' Top 1000 but now at its highest point ever.
Iris is directly derived from the Greek word iris, meaning "rainbow." In Greek mythology, the rainbow goddess Iris was a messenger for Zeus and Hera, who rode the rainbow as a multicolored bridge from heaven to earth.
The botanical iris also carries evocative symbols. In ancient times, the Iris was considered a symbol of power and majesty, the three petal segments representing faith, wisdom, and valor. This image led to the naming of the colored part of the eye.
In the contemporary world, Iris has amazing international versatility, ranking highly throughout the English-speaking world as well as in a diverse range of countries from Spain to Slovenia, France to Sweden.
Part of Iris's rise is due to its celebrity power: Jude Law and Sadie Frost, Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann, and Renee O'Connor all chose Iris for their daughters.
A notable modern bearer was the prolific British novelist Iris Murdoch. Frequently seen on screen, characters called Iris have been played by Jodie Foster, Jane Fonda, and Kate Winslet, and Iris Chase is the narrator in the Margaret Atwood novel The Blind Assassin.
Pronounced EYE-ris.
As of October 2026, Iris ranked #61 in US births in 2025 SSA, Nameberry popularity #5.
Editor's take: The name Iris is a girl's name of Greek origin meaning "rainbow".
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #244 | 1,330 | 744.5 |
| 2015 | #216 | 1,509 | 845.3 |
| 2016 | #186 | 1,751 | 988.1 |
| 2017 | #149 | 1,990 | 1,152.6 |
| 2018 | #138 | 2,128 | 1,251 |
| 2019 | #128 | 2,193 | 1,306.6 |
| 2020 | #127 | 2,177 | 1,346.7 |
| 2021 | #108 | 2,581 | 1,573 |
| 2022 | #84 | 2,933 | 1,788.3 |
| 2023 | #78 | 2,936 | 1,829.8 |
| 2024 | #71 | 3,124 | 1,928.2 |
| 2025 | #61 | 3,729 | 2,320.1 |
World rankings
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Iris.
- Ivy
- Violet
- Freya
- Hazel
- Juniper
- Ophelia
- Flora
- Daphne
- Delilah
- Penelope
- Phoebe
- Willow
- Madaleine
- Charolette
- Cora
- Poppy
- Clementine
- Ruby
- Stella
- Astrid
Iris on lists
Famous Iriss
- (Jean) Iris Murdoch
Irish novelist
- Iris Luella DeMent
American singer,songwriter
- Iris Adrian
American actress
- Iris Mittenaere
French beauty queen; Miss Universe 2017
- Iris Apfel
American businesswoman, designer and fashion icon
- Iris von Arnim
German fashion designer
- Iris Berben
German actress
- Iris Chacon
Puerto Rican singer and actress
- Iris Gower
Welsh novelist
- Iris Haussler
German artist
- Iris Johansen
American novelist
- Iris Meredith (born Marie Shunn)
American actress
- Iris Victoria Beatrice Grace Mountbatten
great,granddaughter of Queen Victoria
- Iris Robinson
Northern Irish politician
- Iris van Herpen
Dutch fashion designer
- Iris Yamashita
American screenwriter
- Iris Tallulah Elizabeth Law (b. 2000)
daughter of actors Jude Law and Sadie Frost
- Iris Apatow (b. 2002)
American actress, daughter of director Judd Apatow and actress Leslie Mann
- Iris Sura O'Connor (b. 2006)
daughter of actress Renee O'Connor and Jed Sura
- Iris Friday Seppälä (b. 2012)
daughter of Suits actress Sarah Rafferty and Santtu Seppälä
- Iris Lara St George (b. 2014)
daughter of actress Florence Brudenell,Bruce and Henry St George
- Iris Mary Redmayne (b. 2016)
daughter of actor Eddie Redmayne and Hannah Bagshawe
- Iris Elise Jones (b. 2017)
daughter of comedians Michael and Lindsay Jones of Rooster Teeth
- Iris Kendall
Contestant on season 7 of Love Island USA
Iris in pop culture
- Iris
Goddess of the rainbow in Greek Mythology
- Iris
Fairy/Spirit character in William Shakespeare's "The Tempest"
- Iris Gaines
main character in book/film "The Natural"
- Iris Simpkins
main character in "The Holiday"
- Iris Adams
character in "Sims" series
- Iris
character in the Pokémon Black and White video games and anime
- Iris Chase Griffin
character in "The Blind Assassin" by Margaret Atwood
- Iris McGivern
character in the novel "Demented" by Elise Noble
- Iris Hawthorne
character in the Ace Attorney video game series
- Iris Ann West
Allen, wife of Barry Allen in The Flash series
- Iris
character in the 'Heroes of Olympus' series by Rick Riordan
- Iris
character in LoliRock
- Iris
character in 'Infinite Sky' by CJ Flood
- Iris
character in "American Horror Story: Hotel"
- Iris Amicitia
character in the game "Final Fantasy XV"
- "Iris
" song by Goo Goo Dolls
- "Wild Iris Bloom
" novel by Mavis Jukes
- "Iris Zero
" manga series
- Iris
word for the ring of color around the pupil in an eye
- Iris
Dragon,type gym leader in Pokemon White version and Unova Champion in Pokemon Black 2 and White 2
- Iris Clops
daughter of the Cyclops in "Monster High" show and series
- IRIS
character in "Sara Is Missing"
- "Iris
" song by Live
- Iris
character in film "Taxi Driver"
- Iris Cygnet
character in the "Red Queen" series by Victoria Aveyard
- roses/lotus/violet/iris
song by Hayley Williams