Iris
Iris was the 61st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 3,729 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 155 places. More babies were named Iris in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning rainbow · Greek
Say it EYE-ris /ˈaɪrɪs/
- Rank in 2025
- #61 girls, up 66 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 3,729girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20253,729 babies
- Total since 1880
- 102,320babies recorded
What does the name Iris mean?
Iris is the Greek word for 'rainbow' and the name of the goddess of the rainbow, the messenger of the gods in Greek myth. Wikipedia notes that English speakers first used it as a name in the 1500s with the goddess in mind, and that from the 19th century it was also chosen as a flower name, after the iris plant, which in turn was named for the rainbow because of its many colors. The colored part of the eye is also called the iris.
ἶρις (Ancient Greek, “rainbow”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Irisa, Irida.
See also: Greek names, names that mean flower, names that mean sky, star, moon or sun.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Iris', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Iris (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Iris popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 770 since 1907, 12 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #61 | 3,729 |
| 2020 | #127 | 2,178 |
| 2010 | #315 | 1,011 |
| 2000 | #414 | 685 |
| 1990 | #417 | 610 |
| 1980 | #428 | 504 |
| 1970 | #371 | 645 |
| 1960 | #338 | 777 |
| 1950 | #239 | 986 |
| 1940 | #222 | 750 |
| 1930 | #203 | 938 |
| 1920 | #262 | 633 |
| 1910 | #319 | 143 |
| 1900 | #426 | 62 |
| 1890 | #609 | 19 |
| 1880 | #531 | 11 |
How popular is Iris, counting every spelling?
Iris is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #74 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #61 for Iris on its own. Together these spellings went to 3,748 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iris | 3,729 | #61 | 15,321 |
| Irys | 19 | #6,204 | 91 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Iris?
3,729 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Iris (1.03 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Iris born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 2 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Iris.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Iris?
About 73,900 people born in the US named Iris are alive today, with a median age of 21; half are between 7 and 56. That makes Iris mostly worn by children and young adults. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Iris by state
How common Iris was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Vermont (6.6×), Alaska (3.9×), Wyoming (3.4×), Maine (2.8×), New Mexico (2.7×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New Jersey, Florida, New York.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Iris: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Iris, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Iris · Sibling names for Iris
Questions about the name Iris
What does Iris mean?
Iris means “rainbow” (Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Iris?
Iris was the 61st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 3,729 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 155 places. More babies were named Iris in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Iris a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Iris in the US.
Where is Iris most popular?
In 2021–2025, Iris was most common in Vermont (12.38 per 1,000 girls), followed by Alaska and Wyoming.