The letter that your name starts with can say a lot about your personality, strengths, and weaknesses. With this in mind, parents may select the first letter of their child’s name before agreeing on a name itself. In this article, we bring names that start with the letter I to light, as people whose names start with this letter are said to be pure, kind, and dependable souls who wear their hearts on their sleeves.
Many names starting with I made it into the US top 1,000 in 2024, and some fell short of making the grade but are sure to make an appearance in the coming years. One of the most popular I-names for boys was Isaac. However, names like Idris and Ivo weren’t too far behind on the list.
Isaac is a name of Hebrew and Aboriginal origin meaning “laughter,” while the Welsh name Idris and the German name Ivo mean “lord or studious” and “yew wood or archer,” respectively.
As for girl names starting with I, names like Isabella and Isla were top contenders. However, names like Iara and Iris were also common picks. The name Iara was especially popular in Portugal, whereas the name Iris was a homerun in America. Iara is a variation of the Arabic name Yara, which means “small butterfly or lady of the water,” and the Greek name Iris means “rainbow.”
For more baby names that start with I, check out the list below.
Ian
Meaning: The Lord is gracious
Origin: Scottish
Gender: Boy
Ianthe
Meaning: Purple flower
Origin: Greek
Gender: Girl
Iara
Meaning: Small butterfly or lady of the water
Origin: Arabic
Gender: Girl
Ibby
Meaning: Pledged to God
Origin: English
Gender: Girl
Ibsen
Meaning: Son of Ib
Origin: Danish
Gender: Boy
Icarus
Meaning: Follower
Origin: Greek
Gender: Boy
Ichabod
Meaning: The glory is gone
Origin: Hebrew
Gender: Boy
Ichiro
Meaning: Firstborn son
Origin: Japanese
Gender: Boy
Ida
Meaning: Industrious one
Origin: German
Gender: Girl
Idalia
Meaning: Behold the sun
Origin: Greek
Gender: Girl
Idris
Meaning: Lord or studious
Origin: Welsh
Gender: Boy
Ifor
Meaning: Archer
Origin: Welsh
Gender: Boy
Iggy
Meaning: Fiery
Origin: Latin
Gender: Boy
Ignatius
Meaning: Fiery
Origin: Latin
Gender: Boy
Igor
Meaning: Warrior
Origin: Old Norse
Gender: Boy
Ike
Meaning: He will laugh
Origin: American
Gender: Boy
Ila
Meaning: From the island
Origin: French
Gender: Girl
Ilana
Meaning: Oak tree
Origin: Hebrew
Gender: Girl
Ilona
Meaning: Light
Origin: Hungarian
Gender: Girl
Ilsa
Meaning: Pledged to God
Origin: German
Gender: Girl
Ilya
Meaning: The Lord is my God
Origin: Russian
Gender: Boy
Imani
Meaning: Faith
Origin: Arabic
Gender: Girl
Imaging
Meaning: Creating with images
Origin: American
Gender: Girl
Imogen
Meaning: Maiden
Origin: Celtic
Gender: Girl
Indigo
Meaning: Indian dye
Origin: Greek
Gender: Girl
Inez
Meaning: Pure, virginal
Origin: Spanish
Gender: Girl
Ingmar
Meaning:
Origin: Norse
Gender: Boy
Ingrid
Meaning: Fair
Origin: Norse
Gender: Girl
Inigo
Meaning: Fiery
Origin: Basque
Gender: Boy
Innes
Meaning: From the river island
Origin: Scottish
Gender: Boy
Iolo
Meaning: Weathy guardian
Origin: Welsh
Gender: Boy
Ione
Meaning: Violet (Flower)
Origin: Greek
Gender: Girl
Ira
Meaning: Watchful one
Origin: Hebrew
Gender: Boy
Irene
Meaning: Peace
Origin: Greek
Gender: Girl
Irina
Meaning: Peace
Origin: Russian
Gender: Girl
Iris
Meaning: Rainbow
Origin: Greek
Gender: Girl
Irma
Meaning: Universal, complete
Origin: German
Gender: Girl
Irving
Meaning: Green river, sea friend
Origin: Scottish
Gender: Boy
Isaac
Meaning: Laughter
Origin: Hebrew, Aboriginal
Gender: Boy
Isabella
Meaning: God is perfection
Origin: Hebrew
Gender: Girl
Isandro
Meaning: Liberator
Origin: Spanish
Gender: Boy
Ishmael
Meaning: God will hear
Origin: Hebrew
Gender: Boy
Isidore
Meaning: Gift of Isis
Origin: Greek
Gender: Boy
Isla
Meaning: Rocky Place
Origin: Scottish, Spanish, Welsh
Gender: Girl
Isolde
Meaning: Ice ruler
Origin: Welsh
Gender: Girl
Itai
Meaning: With me
Origin: Hebrew
Gender: Boy
Itzel
Meaning: Rainbow lady
Origin: Mayan
Gender: Girl
Ivan
Meaning: God is gracious
Origin: Russian
Gender: Boy
Ives
Meaning: Yew wood
Origin: English
Gender: Boy
Ivo
Meaning: Yew wood or archer
Origin: German
Gender: Boy
