Given name & surname
Ivy
“resembling the evergreen vining plant”
Ivy is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “resembling the evergreen vining plant.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “resembling the evergreen vining plant.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
How it developed
In English usage, Ivy is a diminutive of Ivan.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Ivy through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 86,173
- 3,460 boys · 82,713 girls
- Most popular year
- 2024
- 5,367 babies
- 2025
- 5,124
- #39 for girls · #10,087 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +51%
- Rising fast
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 0% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 5,117 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 39 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 50.5% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 7 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (450). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 50,093 as a first name in 2020; 13,218 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.
Ivy’s family of names
In English usage, Ivy is a diminutive of Ivan. Ivy has a related form in Ivey. Ivy has a related form in Ivie.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 11
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Ivanfull form · English
- Iveyvariant
- Ivievariant
- Iveevariant
- Ivivariant
- Iveclipped form · English
- Ivyannevariant
- Iveahvariant
Show 3 moreShow fewer
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Ivy
- Ivy Compton-BurnettEnglish writer (1884–1969)
- Ivy Matsepe-CasaburriSouth African politician (1937-2009)
- Ivy LeeAmerican businessman (1877-1934)
- Ivy DumontGovernor-General of the Bahamasborn 1930
- Ivy Ling PoHong Kong actress and singerborn 1939
- Ivy ChenTaiwanese actress and modelborn 1982
- Ivy BottiniAmerican women's and LGBT rights activist1926–2021
- Ivy LevanAmerican singerborn 1990
- Ivy LatimerAustralian actressborn 1994
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Ivy, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Poppy
“resembling the red flower”
>99% girls
Hallie
“from the hall” · “woman of the sea”
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Winter
“born during the winter season”
6% boys · 94% girls
Blakely
“from the dark meadow”
1% boys · 99% girls
Stella
“star of the sea”
>99% girls
Wren
“resembling a small songbird”
13% boys · 87% girls
Harley
“from the meadow of the hares”
20% boys · 80% girls
Presley
“of the priest's town” · “from the priest's meadow”
7% boys · 93% girls