4 Letter Girl Names Starting with I
Model Coco Rocha has set a narrow rubric for her children’s names — four-letter names starting with I. She is mother to Ioni and Iver and expecting her third child, a daughter, later in 2020. With such strict limitations, are there any good girl name options left?
You bet there are! It helps that I is such a versatile first initial. It can imitate the Y sound, as in Iana and Iara; long E, as in Inoa and Izar; or sound like “eye,” as in Iola and Ioni. The variety of sounds makes an I-starting sibset well-matched, but not overly so.
The only four-letter girl names beginning with I in the US Top 1000 are trendy choices Isla and Iris — but you won’t find those on this list. Here we’ve curated our favorite unique four-letter girl names starting with I. Perfect for Coco Rocha’s baby — or maybe yours.
You bet there are! It helps that I is such a versatile first initial. It can imitate the Y sound, as in Iana and Iara; long E, as in Inoa and Izar; or sound like “eye,” as in Iola and Ioni. The variety of sounds makes an I-starting sibset well-matched, but not overly so.
The only four-letter girl names beginning with I in the US Top 1000 are trendy choices Isla and Iris — but you won’t find those on this list. Here we’ve curated our favorite unique four-letter girl names starting with I. Perfect for Coco Rocha’s baby — or maybe yours.
Ione
Origin:
Greek, a violet-colored stoneDescription:
This unusual Greek flower and color name has gained considerable recent attention via actress Ione Skye, who is the daughter of sixties folksinger Donovan.
Ines
Origin:
Italian, Portuguese, Slovene and Croatian variation of AgnesMeaning:
"pure, virginal"Description:
This form of Agnes, Ines has always been popular since the true story of the thwarted lovers Queen Ines of Castro and King Peter of Portugal. This has to be one of the most heartbreaking and bloody true romances in history!
Iona
Origin:
Scottish place-nameDescription:
This name of a small island off the coast of Scotland is trending upwards along with other I names.
Inez
Origin:
Spanish variation of AgnesMeaning:
"pure, virginal"Description:
Also spelled Ines, this name of the prudish mother of Don Juan in the Byron poem has a touch of mystery, but has also been fully integrated into the American name pool.
Indi
Origin:
Variation of Indie, EnglishMeaning:
"independent"Description:
A true maverick of a girls' name — even more so with this spelling, the least common between Indie, Indy, and Indi.
Indy
Origin:
Short form of IndianaDescription:
The heroic movie figure Indiana Jones was often called Indy, as in the equally testosterone-laden Indy 500 car race. Indie, as in indie films, is the more girlish version of the name, sometimes short for India or Indigo.
Ilse
Origin:
Dutch variation of IlsaMeaning:
"pledged to God"Description:
Pronounced with two syllables, as if spelled Ilsa, Ilse is popular in The Netherlands and may rise here with cousin Elsa.
Ilsa
Origin:
German variation of ElizabethMeaning:
"pledged to God"Description:
Ilsa is remembered as the radiant but tragic heroine of "Casablanca," and it's having something of a European resurgence.
Izzy
Origin:
Diminutive of Isabel and IsabellaDescription:
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 stands on its own, as it has as a first name for the daughter of Eddie Murphy and Paige Butcher.
Irie
Origin:
JamaicanMeaning:
"positive and powerful"Description:
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?"
Iola
Origin:
Greek or WelshMeaning:
"violet; beautiful lady"Description:
Isla is hot, Iona is cool – maybe it's time Iola got a second look? Last heard from on Carol Burnett's Mama's Family show, Iola feels like just the sort of uncommon, vowel-rich, vintage name that should be ripe for rediscovery.
Issa
Origin:
Variation of Isa, GermanMeaning:
"strong-willed"Description:
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 exclusively feminine.
Indu
Origin:
HindiMeaning:
"moon"Description:
Indu is truly unusual, but shares sounds with more popular choices like India and Indigo. Other moon names to consider: Luna, Serena, Io.
Iria
Origin:
Portuguese variation of EireneMeaning:
"peace"Description:
Iria is a diminutive version of Eirene / Irene and is therefore associated with the Greek goddess of peace.
Ilia
Origin:
Variation of Iliana, GreekMeaning:
"from Illium or Troy"Description:
Three syllables in only four letters is quite a feat, but that's exactly what you get with Ilia, a more delicate version of Iliana.
Iman
Origin:
ArabicMeaning:
"faith"Description:
One of the best-known African names in the Western World because of the Somali-born model and wife of the late David Bowie.
Idra
Origin:
AramaicMeaning:
"fig tree"Description:
Idra is one of the less obvious botanical names. In ancient times, a fig tree was a symbol of learning, peace, and prosperity.
Ilma
Origin:
FinnishMeaning:
"air"Description:
A name that's unknown in the U.S. 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.
Ivey
Origin:
Surname name, variation of IvyMeaning:
"son of Ive; person from Ivoy; ivy plant"Description:
Ivey can be considered an alternate spelling of the botanical name Ivy, but it also has separate origins as a surname. For the Anglo-Saxon Ivey line, Ivey means "son of Ive," while for the English-Norman Iveys, it means "person from Ivoy," a commune in the Cher department of France.
Immy
Origin:
Diminutive of Imogen, CelticMeaning:
"maiden"Description:
Diminishes the beauty of the original.
Ilka
Origin:
Hungarian, diminutive of Ilona; variation of HelenMeaning:
"bright, shining one"Description:
To some, may have the same warm feeling of Russian nicknames like Sasha and Misha.
Iara
Origin:
Variation of Yara, Arabic, TupiMeaning:
"small butterfly; lady of the water"Description:
Iara rhymes with Yara, an Arabic name of which it can be a variation. More commonly it's associated with Iara of Brazilian myth — a water nymph, sometimes mermaid, of Tupi and Guaraní legend. In the legends, Iara seduces men to the river to accompany her in her immortal life.
Ibby
Origin:
Diminutive of IsabelMeaning:
"pledged to God"Description:
Sounds a bit baby talk -- itty bitty Ibby -- but Issy isn't much better.
Iana
Origin:
Latin, Slavic variation of JaneMeaning:
"God is gracious"Description:
In Roman mythology, Iana was an epithet of Diana, goddess of the moon.
Inoa
Origin:
HawaiianMeaning:
"name chant"Description:
Inoa is an evocative choice from the South Seas.
Ioni
Origin:
Variation of Ione, GreekMeaning:
"violet-colored stone"Description:
A phonetic variant of the gorgeous Greek name Ione, and one that was used by model Coco Rocha for her daughter in 2015.
Idun
Origin:
NorseMeaning:
"ever young"Description:
Idun is a modern transcription of Iðunn, the name of the goddess of apples — possibly representing fertility — and youth in Norse mythology. The similarity in pronunciation to Eden could add some points in favor of Idun or perhaps add some confusion.
Irya
Origin:
Variation of Irina, RussianMeaning:
"peace"Description:
Irya is an Irina diminutive, and rare even in its native country.
Itza
Origin:
Variation of Itzel, MayanMeaning:
"rainbow lady"Description:
Itza is a rare Itzel variant that shares its colorful meaning. Itza also connects to the Itza people of Guatemala and their language of the same name. Chichen Itza was a city built by the Mayans in what is now the Yucatán of Mexico.
Iben
Origin:
German and Scandinavian form of IvoMeaning:
"yew wood"Description:
This unisex nature name ranks among the most popular girl names in Norway.
Idah
Origin:
Variation of Ida, GermanMeaning:
"industrious one"Description:
Ida itself is a rare name, ranking outside of the US Top 1000. But the four-letter variation Idah is even rarer, having been given to fewer than 5 baby girls in the most recent year on record.
Izar
Origin:
BasqueMeaning:
"star"Description:
A bright and sparky Basque name with a lovely celestial meaning.
Ilda
Origin:
Italian variation of HIlda, GermanMeaning:
"battle woman"Description:
The Italian form of Hilda is rarer but sweeter than its mother name, which still isn't ready for revival in the US.
Isme
Origin:
Variation of Esme, French, PersianMeaning:
"esteemed; beloved; emerald"Description:
While the traditional Esmé is pronounced EZ-may, the Isme variation would suggest an IZ-may pronunciation.
Iqra
Origin:
ArabicMeaning:
"read"Description:
Beautiful Arabic name that's important in Islamic culture — Iqra is the name of a chapter in the Quran.
Isha
Origin:
SanskritMeaning:
"master, lord"Description:
A short and sweet Hindi name which has been relatively popular in the UK – peaking at #280 there in 2003.
Imee
Origin:
Variation of Imena, African, ArabicMeaning:
"dream; faith"Description:
Unusual but appealing nickname that could really be used for any name starting with Im-, although most commonly Imena.
Ilsy
Origin:
Variation of Ilsa, GermanMeaning:
"pledged to God"Description:
Sweet and quirky nickname reminiscent of Elsie. In fact, they both ultimately derive from Elizabeth — Elsie through Elsa and Ilsy through Ilsa.
Itta
Origin:
Diminutive of Yehudit, Variation of Ita, Yiddish, IrishMeaning:
"He will be praised; woman from Judea; thrist"Description:
Itta is a cute old-fashioned name that arose parallelly as a nickname for Yehudit, used among Ashkenazi Jews, and a variation of Ita, an Irish name.
Ilki
Origin:
Variation of Ilka or Elke, Hungarian, Dutch, GermanMeaning:
"bright, shining one; noble"Description:
This short, ultra-rare name is one of our favorite four-letter girl names starting with I.
Inah
Origin:
Variation of Ina, Latin suffixDescription:
This slight suffix is made a little bit broader by tacking on an H at the end, but we still prefer the original.
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