By Brynn McKeon · Updated September 2026
Across 7 pages
of 7
Modern English
"I love you"
This sweet little acronym, popularized in the age of texting, has established itself as a baby name. The similarity to Ivy, Isla and Riley/Miley has undoubtedly played a role.
Greek
"gift of Isis"
Isabel, Theodore, and Isadora are back: could it now be time for a more widespread revival of Isidore? Yet to see any big moves up the charts, Isidore was given to more than 30 boys in a recent year:…
Hebrew
"era, time"
Idan is a Hebrew unisex place-name rarely heard in this country.
Sanskrit
"beauty"
A striking and feminine possibility associated with a modern hero — long-time Indian prime minister, Indira Gandhi. It is also a significant choice within Hinduism, as it is used as an alternative…
Modern invented name
Name with an Asian feel, thanks to a Japanese city and Imari porcelain.
Greek mythology name
Icarus, the mythological figure famous for flying too close to the sun, has a couple of negatives: his rash reputation, and those "icky" nicknames.
Jamaican
"positive and powerful"
Irie is an upbeat and modern name that originated as a Rastafarian term for "positive and powerful."
Finnish place name; Japanese
"loaded with rice"
A unisex cultural crossover that has seen a little use from the 1990s onwards. In Japanese mythology, Inari is an androgynous deity associated with rice, tea and foxes. In Finland, it is the name of…
Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian variation of Isadora, Greek
The Isidora spelling, though equally legitimate, is about 90 percent less common than Isadora.
American invented name, Japanese place name
A novel creation in the vein of Amari and Akari. Imari is also a place name, connected to the Japanese city, and is the English term for Arita porcelain.
German variation of Elizabeth
"pledged to God"
Ilsa is remembered as the radiant but tragic heroine of "Casablanca," and it's having something of a European resurgence.
Welsh, German
"ice ruler"
Sleek, sharp, and soulful, Isolde is the German form of Iseult, the fabled lover of Tristan in the Arthurian romances. First appearing in the 12th-century, the name was fairly popular in the form of…
Latin
"of India"
The calming variety of marijuana, used as a baby name every year since 1992. As a name, Indica is more than four times more popular than Sativa.
English invented name
"fighter, leader"
A fictional name from the League of Legends video game franchise. Its meaning has been suggested as "fighter, leader or powerful", due to the carrot.
"possessing drops of rain"
In the ancient Hindu religion, Indra is the warrior god of sky and rain. The vowel ending could make it sound feminine to the English speaker, though Ezra and Luca work just fine, so why not Indra?
English
"boar friend"
Son of Irving.
Old Norse via Russian
"warrior"
Musical association with Igor Stravinsky, but also Dr. Frankenstein's right-hand man.
"violet flower"
This unusual Greek flower and color name has gained considerable recent attention via actress Ione Skye, who is the daughter of sixties folksinger Donovan. Ione was one of the fifty sea nymphs —…
Germanic, Slavic
"yew wood, archer; God is gracious"
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…
Finnish, Hungarian, Spanish, or literary Quenya
"air; starlight"
A name that's unknown in the US and Britain but is popular as a nature name in Finland. May also be known as a Hungarian variation of Amelia and a Spanish form of Wilhelmina. Ilma also appears in…
