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4 Letter Girl Names Starting with I

Sophie Kihm
By Sophie Kihm
Updated Fri Sep 01 2023
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.

  1. Ines

    • Origin:

      Italian, Portuguese, Slovene and Croatian variation of Agnes

    • Meaning:

      "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!
  2. Ione

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "violet flower"

    • Description:

      This unusual Greek flower and color name has gained considerable recent attention via actress Ione Skye, who is the daughter of sixties folksinger Donovan.
  3. Inez

    • Origin:

      Spanish variation of Agnes

    • Meaning:

      "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.
  4. Iona

    • Origin:

      Scottish place-name

    • Description:

      This name of a small island off the coast of Scotland is trending upwards along with other I names.
  5. Indy

    • Origin:

      Short form of Indiana

    • Description:

      Indie — as in indie films — is the more girlish version of the name, but earthy, gender-neutral Indy is catching up slowly and steadily. Indy entered the Top 1000 for girls for the first time in 2023 after rising over 100 places. For a longer full name, vibrant Indigo remains more and more stylish each year.
  6. Irie

    • Origin:

      Jamaican

    • Meaning:

      "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?"
  7. Ilsa

    • Origin:

      German variation of Elizabeth

    • Meaning:

      "pledged to God"

    • Description:

      Ilsa is remembered as the radiant but tragic heroine of "Casablanca," and it's having something of a European resurgence.
  8. Indi

    • Origin:

      Variation of Indie, English

    • Meaning:

      "independent"

    • Description:

      A true maverick of a girls' name — even more so with this spelling, the least common between Indie, Indy, and Indi.
  9. Ilia

    • Origin:

      Variation of Iliana or Julia, Greek, Basque, Bulgarian "from Illium or Troy; youthful or sky father; Yahweh is God"

    • Meaning:

      "from Illium or Troy; youthful or sky father; Yahweh is God"

    • Description:

      Three syllables in only four letters is quite a feat, but that's exactly what you get with Ilia, a versatile, unisex option with various origins. It could derive from the Greek Iliana, which could denote someone from Illium, or it could be a feminine form of Ilian, a form of Elijah. Alternatively, it is a Basque form of Julia, or a Bulgarian feminine form of Ilya, with again links back to Elijah. Currently a gender neutral option in the US, it may be exclusively masculine elsewhere.
  10. Iola

    • Origin:

      Greek or Welsh

    • Meaning:

      "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.
  11. Inca

    • Origin:

      German, Finnish, Serbian, Spanish, Azerbaijani

    • Meaning:

      "ancestor; emperor; slender, thin, soft"

    • Description:

      More familiar as the name of an ancient empire from South America, when used as a given name, Inca can have a variety of different origins. While it is more likely to be spelled as Inka (or İncə) as a first name, Inca has seen usage around the world.
  12. Isle

    • Origin:

      English

    • Meaning:

      "small island"

    • Description:

      Isla is a contemporary gem, so why not Isle? As an English word name, it takes you straight to the literal definition — a small island — which could have an appealing, aspirational ring to it, for those wanting to raise independent children.
  13. Issa

    • Origin:

      Variation of Isa, German

    • Meaning:

      "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.
  14. Izzy

    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Isabel and Isabella

    • Description:

      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.
  15. Itza

    • Origin:

      Variation of Itzel, Mayan

    • Meaning:

      "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.
  16. Isra

    • Origin:

      Arabic

    • Meaning:

      "nocturnal journey"

    • Description:

      An Arabic name with a powerful and alluring meaning, in Islamic tradition, Isra refers to one part of the Night Journey that the Prophet Muhammad, in which he led other prophets such as Ibrahim, Isa, and Musa in prayer. Popular in Belgium, the UK, and the Netherlands, it is climbing the US charts.
  17. Iara

    • Origin:

      Variation of Yara, Arabic, Tupi

    • Meaning:

      "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.
  18. Idah

    • Origin:

      Variation of Ida, German

    • Meaning:

      "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.
  19. Iria

    • Origin:

      Portuguese variation of Eirene

    • Meaning:

      "peace"

    • Description:

      Iria is a diminutive version of Eirene / Irene and is therefore associated with the Greek goddess of peace.
  20. Iana

    • Origin:

      Latin, Slavic variation of Jane

    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"

    • Description:

      In Roman mythology, Iana was an epithet of Diana, goddess of the moon.