Iris
Meaningrainbow · Greek
- US rank
- #61
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #61 in 2025
3,729 babies were named Iris in the US in 2025. It has climbed 66 places in five years.
Found on lists
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US births per million girls, 1880–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Iris you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Iris
Iris Murdoch
Irish-born British writer and philosopher (1919–1999)
Choose Iris and your child shares a first name with Iris Murdoch, an Irish-born British writer and philosopher. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Iris, like who?” Iris Murdoch's Wikipedia article is available in 77 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Iris Murdoch on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)- How commonAbout 1 in every 431 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Iris, 3,729 babies in all. In a school of 500 kids, there'd probably be one other Iris.
- HistoryIris has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Iriss, and counting.
- Best yearIris is at its all-time high right now: #61 in 2025.
- Then vs nowIris is 6.2× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 2,651 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 431.
- TrendIris has climbed 66 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #61. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
- Where it's lovedIris is most popular in Alaska, where it ranks #15, followed by Wyoming (#16) and South Dakota (#23). It makes the top 1,000 in almost every state.
- MeaningIn Greek, Iris means “rainbow”.
About the name Iris
Iris is a girl name meaning “rainbow”. It has 4 letters and 2 syllables, starting with I and ending in “-ris”. US birth records list Iris for girls from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 2025, when it ranked #61 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #61, with 3,729 babies.
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 90 | 11,153 girls |
| 1890s | 165 | 6,055 girls |
| 1900s | 312 | 3,200 girls |
| 1910s | 508 | 1,967 girls |
| 1920s | 728 | 1,374 girls |
| 1930s | 763 | 1,310 girls |
| 1940s | 544 | 1,840 girls |
| 1950s | 464 | 2,157 girls |
| 1960s | 317 | 3,158 girls |
| 1970s | 302 | 3,311 girls |
| 1980s | 276 | 3,625 girls |
| 1990s | 307 | 3,253 girls |
| 2000s | 467 | 2,141 girls |
| 2010s | 881 | 1,135 girls |
| 2020s | 1,800 | 556 girls |
Other spellings of Iris
Questions about the name Iris
What does the name Iris mean?
Iris means “rainbow” in Greek.
Is Iris a boy or girl name?
Iris is a girl name, though a few boys get it too.
How popular is the name Iris?
Iris ranked #61 for US girls in 2025, given to 3,729 babies. Its best year was 2025 (#61).