Given name · also Gaelic, Celtic
Imogen
“a maiden”·“one who is innocent and pure”
Imogen offers a particularly revealing name story: a literary spelling may have emerged from a misreading.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “a maiden” and “one who is innocent and pure”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Where it comes from
A possible origin is Celtic, although the derivation remains uncertain.
How it developed
From Scottish Gaelic inghean (“girl, maiden”).
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Shakespeare’s Cymbeline uses Imogen, while earlier accounts call the character Innogen. A misreading by Shakespeare or his printer may explain the change. The earlier form is probably connected with Gaelic inghean, “girl” or “maiden.”
Imogen through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 3,179
- 0 boys · 3,179 girls
- Most popular year
- 2024
- 216 babies
- 2025
- 211
- #1,117 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +13%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 211 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 1,117 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 13.4% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (20). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,221 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Imogen’s family of names
In English usage, Imogen has a diminutive in Immie. In English usage, Imogen has a related form in Imogene. Imogen has a related form in Imojean.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 11
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Imogenevariant · English
- Imojeanvariant
- Imoginevariant
- Immogenlikely variant
- Innogenvariant · English
- Immiediminutive · English
- Immydiminutive · English
- Immivariant
Show 3 moreShow fewer
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Imogen
- Imogen PootsBritish actressborn 1989
- Imogen HeapBritish musicianborn 1977
- Imogen CunninghamAmerican photographer (1883-1976)
- Imogen HolstEnglish composer, arranger, conductor, teacher and festival administrator (1907-1984)
- Imogen GrantBritish rowerborn 1996
- Imogen StubbsBritish actressborn 1961
- Imogen HassallEnglish actress (1942-1980)
- Imogen AyrisNew Zealand athleteborn 2000
- Imogen KoggeGerman actressborn 1957
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Imogen, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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—
Meneely
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—