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Four Letter Girl Names Starting with I

Sophie Kihm
By Sophie Kihm
Updated Fri Jan 30 2026
Four Letter Girl Names Starting with I

Four letter girl names that start with I are a diverse bunch. 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 Ione.

The only four-letter girl names beginning with I in the US Top 1000 are trendy choices Isla, Iris, and Indy. Among the more unique options we love are Indu, Ilse, Iman, Isha, and Ines.

Model Coco Rocha has a sibset full of four-letter names starting with I. She is mother to daughters Ioni and Iley and son Iver.

Here we’ve curated our favorite unique four-letter girl names starting with I, ordered according to their current popularity on Nameberry.

RELATED:

Girl Names That Start with I

Baby Names A-Z

  1. 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.
  2. 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!
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  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. 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.
  7. 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.
  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. 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?"
  10. Ilse

    • Origin:

      Dutch variation of Ilsa

    • Meaning:

      "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.
  11. Iyra

    • Origin:

      Arabic, Urdu or Sanskrit

    • Meaning:

      "respectable, awe-inspiring; or a name for the goddess Saraswati"

    • Description:

      Variant of Ayra
  12. Isis

    • Origin:

      Egyptian

    • Meaning:

      "throne"

    • Description:

      Isis has gone from magical, feminist name on the rise to the forbidden list because of the extremist terror group called ISIS, an acronym for Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. Unsurprisingly, Isis was one of the fastest-falling names in 2014, dropping 130 ranks to reach #706. Interestingly, however, since 2020, it has begun to see increased use again, and 2023 saw it given to 151 girls.
  13. 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.
  14. Iggy

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "fiery"

    • Description:

      Diminutive of Ignatius or its female form Ignatia – or, if you're thinking outside the box, of Ingrid or even Indigo. British actor, presenter and comedian Noel Fielding named his second daughter Iggy in 2020.
  15. Idra

    • Origin:

      Aramaic

    • Meaning:

      "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.
  16. 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.
  17. 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.
  18. 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.
  19. 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.
  20. Iley

    • Origin:

      English variation of Eisele, German

    • Meaning:

      "blacksmith"

    • Description:

      A trimmer version of Riley, Miley, Kylie, et al., used by model Coco Rocha for her daughter in 2020.

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