Given name & surname
Iris
“rainbow”
Iris is a feminine given name from Ancient Greek, meaning “rainbow.” It is used in English, Spanish, French, German, and 7 other languages.
Meaning & origin
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Greek.
The story
In mythological stories, Iris is associated with a messenger goddess.
Iris through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 102,320
- 770 boys · 101,550 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 3,741 babies
- 2025
- 3,741
- #61 for girls · #6,954 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +50%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 3,729 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 61 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 49.6% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 12 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (432). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 80,798 as a first name in 2020; 310 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Iris’s family of names
In English usage, Iris has a later derivative in IIRIS. Iris has a related form in Iridian. Iris has a related form in Iria.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Iris has relatives in 6 languages. Lines run from its Ancient Greek roots to each of them.
4 related names in 6 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 15
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 4
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Iris
- Iris MurdochIrish-born British writer and philosopher (1919–1999)
- Xiomara CastroHonduran politician and businesswoman (born 1959)
- Iris MittenaereFrench beauty pageant winner (born 1993)
- Iris ApfelAmerican interior designer and fashion icon (1921–2024)
- Iris ChangChinese-American journalist and author of historical books (1968–2004)
- Iris ApatowAmerican actressborn 2002
- Iris BerbenGerman actressborn 1950
- Iris Marion YoungAmerican philosopher (1949-2006)
- Iris AdrianAmerican actress (1912–1994)
Characters named Iris: Iris West (fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Iris, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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