Dusty Ancient Gems

Iaso

Greek

"cure, remedy"

The name of a minor Greek goddess of healing.

Ignatia

Ignatia is a feminine name derived from the masculine name Ignatius, which comes from the Latin 'ignis' meaning 'fire.' The name carries connotations of passion, warmth, and energy. Historically, it…

Ilithyia

Greek from Latin

"the readycomer"

A name so old that it may predate the written word. Ilithyia is, immediately, the Latinized version of the name of the Greek goddess of childbirth and midwifery, but its roots stretch back to the…

Illuminata

Illuminata is a rare feminine name with Latin origins, derived from the word 'illuminatus' meaning 'enlightened' or 'illuminated.' This distinctive name carries connotations of brightness, knowledge,…

Illyria

Ancient place-name, feminine variation of Illyrius, Greek

Illyria can trace all its varied associations to the name of an ancient place in the western part of the Balkan peninsula, also called Illyricum. Its inhabitants, conquered by the Romans in 168 BC,…

Immaculata

Immaculata is a feminine name with Latin origins, directly referring to the Catholic concept of the Immaculate Conception - the doctrine that the Virgin Mary was conceived without original sin. The…

Inanna

Mesopotamian

"lady of heaven"

An ancient Mesopotamian goddess of love, war and justice, with a name that fits modern tastes. In recent years it has become a rare but steady fixture near the bottom of the charts, and feels full 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.

Isaura

Greek place-name

The name of an ancient country located in South Asia Minor, perfect for someone looking for a rare and feminine name with history.

Ishtar

Mesopotamian

The mother goddess Ishtar (also called, or identified with, Ashtoreth, Ashtoret, Astarte and Inanna) was worshipped by the Assyrians and Babylonians as the goddess of love, war, justice and…

Isidora

Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian variation of Isadora, Greek

"gift of Isis"

The Isidora spelling, though equally legitimate, is about 90 percent less common than Isadora.

Isis

Egyptian

"throne"

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…

Ismene

Greek

"knowledgeable"

Sister of Antigone and daughter of Oedipus in Greek mythology, Ismene's name is unlikely to make it in modern times because of its teasability factor. Ismay or Esme would be better bets.