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🔥Iris

Flower name; Greek
"rainbow"
Grace Royal
By Grace Royal
Updated Mon Jul 14 2025

Iris Origin and Meaning

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

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.

# 71 in the US

Iris Rank in US Top 1000

# 6 on Nameberry

Iris Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Popularity of the name Iris

20 Names Similar to Iris

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Iris.

Famous People Named Iris

  • (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

The name 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

International Variations of the name Iris

  • Irisa
    Russian
  • Irita
    Italian
  • Aya
    Japanese

The name Iris in Nameberry Blog Posts

The name Iris in Nameberry Forums