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The names
Isaiah
Hebrew
"Salvation of the Lord"
Isaiah, like brethren Isaac and Elijah, is a once neglected biblical name now firmly back in favor, already surpassing such long-popular Old Testament stalwarts as Aaron and Adam. Isaiah has ranked…
Ivory
Word name
"hard, white material from the tusks and teeth of animals; pale, white"
Ivory was last popular a hundred years ago. In 2013, it finally began to regain some momentum in the female rankings, reentering the Top 1000, while 2024 saw it jump up the charts again by over 100…
Ignacio
Spanish
"fiery"
Ignacio, like Horacio, makes its gray-bearded English equivalent name sound positively dashing. While the Ig- beginning summons up such associations as ignoble and ignorant, the era for Ignacio and…
Ishmael
Hebrew
"God will hear"
Ishmael is most familiar through "Call me Ishmael," the opening line spoken by the youthful narrator of Moby-Dick . Few American parents have followed that advice, though the Spanish and Arabic…
Irma
German
"universal, whole, great"
A Top 200 choice in the US from the late 1880s to the early 1930s, Irma has nevertheless fallen out of favor with modern parents, and doesn't look set for the sort of comeback that some of her…
India
Place name, from the River Indus
Euphonious and long stylish in England, India was one of the fastest-rising names on the 2013 list, after jumping 240 spots back into the Top 1000. Gorgeous as it may be, the usage of India as a name…
Ingeborg
German and Swedish
"the help of Ing"
Ingeborg (and all Germanic and Scandinavian names beginning with Ing-) references the ancient fertility god Ing. Ing, later known as Freyr, is one of the primary gods in Old Norse mythology.
Iago
Welsh and Galician variation of James and Jacob
Iago, the villain of Shakespeare's Othello , was so treacherously evil that his name has hardly ever been heard offstage. Try the much-more-benign Inigo.
Iakovos
Iakovos is a masculine name of Greek origin, serving as the Greek form of Jacob. The name traces back to Hebrew roots, meaning 'holder of the heel' or 'supplanter,' referencing the biblical story of…
Icarus
Greek mythology name
Icarus, the mythological figure famous for flying too close to the sun, has a couple of negatives: his rash reputation, and those "icky" nicknames.
Ichabod
Hebrew
"the glory is gone"
Ichabod, an eccentric Old Testament name, is forever tied to the character of Ichabod Crane -- and worse, the teasing possibilities of "icky bod." Even its original meaning is a negative. Skip…
Increase
Word name
One Puritan virtue name unlikely to thrive in the 21st century.
Inge
Inge is a feminine name with deep Scandinavian and Germanic roots, derived from the Norse god Ing or Yngvi, associated with fertility and peace. In Germanic countries, it's traditionally a feminine…
Ingraham
Ingraham is a distinguished masculine name of Old English origin, derived from the elements 'Ing' (referring to a Norse god) and 'hām' meaning 'home' or 'homestead.' Originally a surname, Ingraham…
Inigo
Basque, medieval Spanish variation of Ignatius
"fiery"
Inigo, almost unknown in the U.S., is an intriguing choice, with its strong beat, creative and evocative sound, and associations with the great early British architect and stage designer Inigo Jones.…
Iolanthe
Greek
"violet flower"
Iolanthe is known primarily through the 1882 Gilbert & Sullivan operetta of that name, in which the title character is a fairy. Iolanthe is a softer version of Yolanda, and is the kind of…
Iphigenia
Greek
"of royal birth"
In mythology, Iphigenia was sacrificed by her father, Agamemnon -- a difficult legacy to pass on to a daughter, and only one reason the name is hardly ever used.
Irie
Jamaican
"positive and powerful"
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?"
Ishiko
Ishiko is a feminine Japanese name that typically means 'stone child' or 'child of stone,' combining 'ishi' (stone) and the suffix 'ko' (child), though its meaning can vary depending on the kanji…
Iskander
Indonesian variation of Alexander.
