Ivory
Ivory was the 378th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 810 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 340 places. More babies were named Ivory in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning ivory; or from Ivry, Normandy · English, Norman French, Latin
Say it Y-vuh-ree /ˈaɪvəri/
- Rank in 2025
- #378 girls, up 226 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 810girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025810 babies
- Total since 1880
- 23,114babies recorded
What does the name Ivory mean?
Ivory is a surname and given name. Wiktionary explains the surname as coming from Ivry in Normandy, or sometimes from a diminutive of Ivor; the modern given name, used for both boys and girls, is associated with the word ivory, the creamy-white material of tusks. That word came through Old French from Latin ebur, "ivory".
ebur (Latin, “ivory”)Ivry (French, “place in Normandy”)
How sure is this? Probable. Two sources (place name and word) overlap in the modern name.
Related names: Ivor, Ivy.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Ivory', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'ivory', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Ivory popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #378 | #3,693 | 810 | 30 |
| 2020 | #604 | #3,233 | 483 | 35 |
| 2010 | #1,776 | #3,572 | 116 | 30 |
| 2000 | #1,390 | #2,497 | 134 | 38 |
| 1990 | #1,310 | #1,477 | 124 | 59 |
| 1980 | #1,590 | #1,040 | 73 | 76 |
| 1970 | #2,325 | #872 | 33 | 86 |
| 1960 | #1,494 | #684 | 55 | 132 |
| 1950 | #1,105 | #500 | 70 | 178 |
| 1940 | #1,031 | #678 | 49 | 80 |
| 1930 | #1,035 | #773 | 51 | 69 |
| 1920 | #973 | #728 | 57 | 80 |
| 1910 | #761 | #549 | 32 | 27 |
| 1900 | #993 | #460 | 15 | 25 |
| 1890 | #1,142 | #550 | 7 | 13 |
| 1880 | — | #713 | — | 8 |
How popular is Ivory, counting every spelling?
Ivory is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #355 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #378 for Ivory on its own. Together these spellings went to 929 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ivory | 810 | #378 | 3,318 |
| Ivori | 57 | #2,943 | 160 |
| Ivoree | 14 | #7,638 | 141 |
| Ivorie | 32 | #4,396 | 112 |
| Ivery | 16 | #6,953 | 72 |
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 Ivory?
810 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Ivory (0.22 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Ivory 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 10 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Ivory.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Ivory?
About 12,400 people born in the US named Ivory are alive today, with a median age of 12; half are between 5 and 33. That makes Ivory a young name: most people with it are children.
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.
Ivory by state
How common Ivory was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Kentucky (3.4×), West Virginia (2.9×), Mississippi (2.8×), Oklahoma (2.3×), Iowa (2.3×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New Jersey, Connecticut, New Mexico.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Ivory: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Ivory, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Ivory · Sibling names for Ivory
Questions about the name Ivory
What does Ivory mean?
Ivory means “ivory; or from Ivry, Normandy” (English, Norman French, Latin origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Ivory?
Ivory was the 378th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 810 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 340 places. More babies were named Ivory in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Ivory a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Ivory in the US.
Where is Ivory most popular?
In 2021–2025, Ivory was most common in Alaska (1.39 per 1,000 girls), followed by Kentucky and West Virginia.