By Brynn McKeon · Updated September 2026
Across 7 pages
of 7
Issa is a masculine name with multicultural origins. In Arabic culture, it is the name for Jesus (prophet Isa in Islam) and means 'God is salvation.' It also appears in Slavic languages as a…
Germanic, Persian, or diminutive of Isabel
"ice; strong-willed; pledged to God"
Isa is a name unto itself as both a Persian name meaning "strong-willed" and as Germanic one derived from the element is meaning "ice". It can also be a short form of Isabel, Isabella, Isadora,…
Scottish
"green river, sea friend"
It might be surprising to know that this name originated as a Scottish place and surname name, as in Washington Irving. It became a popular choice for first-generation Jewish-American boys, such as…
Spanish form of Isidoros, Greek
"gift of Isis"
Another Spanish boys' name that relates to a goddess, the Egyptian Isis. San Isidro is the patron saint of Madrid.
Diminutive of Isabel and Isabella
The longer Isabella stays in the Top 10—and it's been there for more than a decade—the more we hear the nickname Izzy (especially if we watch Grey's Anatomy ). it's just a matter of time before it…
"handsome, fair of face"
Irvin is an Old Man name that has an uncertain future. Losing the final g in Irving makes the name slightly less dated -- but just slightly. There's something about the 'erv' sound that makes Irvin…
Jamaican
"positive and powerful"
A name used in the Caribbean, taken from the Rastafarian term that translates best to "positive and powerful." Rastas often greet each other by saying, "Are you feeling Irie today?"
Arabic
"faith"
One of the best-known African names in the Western World because of the Somali-born model and wife of the late David Bowie.
French variation of Yvette
Feels more modern than the Y version but also less authentic.
Greek, Germanic
"behold the sun; work, labor"
A pretty, if unusual choice for a summer baby, particularly a girl with an ancestor named Ida. An epithet of the goddess Aphrodite, Idalia is derived from the Greek place name Idalion. It may also be…
American place-name
"land of the Indians"
Indiana is one of those place-names (think Camden and Trenton) that sounds cooler than the place that inspired it. Its fashionable -ana ending certainly sounds eminently name-like, and…
Place name
Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin put Ireland on the map when they chose it as a first for their daughter, saying that geographic names were a family tradition. And it seems they were a bit ahead of the…
Scottish variation of Isabel
"pledged to God"
The Scottish spelling of Isabel has a definite character of her own, the 'o' giving her an extra infusion of strength but also an element of confusion. How do you pronounce that? Answer: Exactly like…
This state name emerged in the eighties along with westerners Dakota and Montana, and it's still used occasionally by high-profile parents such as Summer Phoenix and Casey Affleck. Action man Indiana…
The heroic movie figure Indiana Jones was often called Indy, as in the equally testosterone-laden Indy 500 car race. It could also be short for Indigo or Indio, or just use it as is.
Variation of Indie, English
"independent"
A true maverick of a girls' name — even more so with this spelling, the least common between Indie, Indy, and Indi.
Mayan
"gift of God"
Itzae is an ancient Mayan name showing signs of revival in our modern world.
Variation of Isa, German
"strong-willed"
Issa might make more sense if you're using it as a nickname for any one of the various names ending in -issa, but this spelling is also an Arabic and Hebrew boy name. The Isa spelling is almost…
Variation of Icelynn or Iceland, invented English name
"beautiful ice; frozen lake; Iceland"
Icelyn and its more popular sister Icelynn have been among the fastest-rising girls' names in the US in recent years. Icelynn entered the Top 1000 in 2024, while Icelyn was given to 54 girls.
German
"universal, whole, great"
A Top 200 choice in the US from the late 1880s to the early 1930s, Irma has nevertheless fallen out of favor with modern parents, and doesn't look set for the sort of comeback that some of her…
