Given name & surname
Ives
“the archer's bow; of the yew wood”
Ives is used as a given name and a surname. One Scandinavian interpretation is “the archer's bow; of the yew wood.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Scandinavian interpretation is “the archer's bow; of the yew wood.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Scandinavian.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1919. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Ives through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 89
- 89 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2020
- 8 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +8%
- Steady
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 5 in 2024. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 325 as a first name in 2020; 8,090 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.
Ives’s family of names
Ives has a related form in Ivon. Ives has a related form in Ivo. Ives has a related form in Ivor.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 15
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Similar names
If you love Ives, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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Frey is a surname.
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