Iris

Flower name; also Greek

"rainbow"

Iris Origin and Meaning

The name Iris is a girl's name of Greek origin meaning "rainbow".

Iris is directly derived from the Greek word iris, meaning “rainbow.” In Greek mythology, Iris was the goddess of the rainbow, a messenger for Zeus and Hera who rode the rainbow as a multicolored bridge from heaven to earth. In ancient times, the Iris was considered a symbol of power and majesty, the three petal segments representing faith, wisdom and valor. This colorful image led to the naming of the flower and to the colored part of the eye.

Iris is one of the bouquet of turn-of-the-last-century flower names that is gradually beginning to regain its appeal: it is now at the highest point it has been since the Thirties.

Part of this is due to its celebrity power: Jude Law and Sadie Frost, Renee O'Connor and Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann 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.

• 129 US 2019
• 6 Nameberry 2021
• 81 England 2019
• 30 France 2019
• 90 Netherlands 2020
• 33 Sweden 2020
• 87 Spain 2019
• 18 Iceland 2014
• 100 New Zealand 2020
• 24 Portugal 2014
• 70 2028 2028