Girl name · Greek
Iris
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: a rainbowIris is a girl's name that comes from Greek and means "a rainbow". It is used in English, French, German, Dutch, Greek and Spanish and more.
- Meaning
- A rainbow
- Origin
- Greek
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #61 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Iris
As a girl's name, Iris comes from Greek and means "a rainbow". It is used in English, French, German, Dutch, Greek, Spanish and Portuguese. In Portuguese it is spelled Íris.
In French, say ee-REESS. In Spanish, say EE-rees. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Iris on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Iris on 10 lists.
“Greek messenger of the gods, fitting for messages”
From Nicknames for ChatGPT, human-sounding names for an AI assistant
“A rainbow in Greek; also the flower named for it”
From Flower names for girls, girl flower names from the garden
“A rainbow; Greek. Say ee-REESS”
From French girl names, french nature and flower names for girls
“Greek goddess of the rainbow, and a striking flower”
From Female cat names, flower names for girl cats
“Greek for rainbow, and a lovely flower”
From Girl dog names, flower and nature names for girl dogs
“Rainbow; Greek. Also a flower and a messenger goddess”
From Girl middle names, flower and nature middle names
“A rainbow; goddess of the rainbow and messenger of the gods”
From Goddess names, greek goddess names
“Rainbow; Greek. Goddess of the rainbow and messenger of the gods”
From Greek girl names, greek goddess names for girls
“Rainbow; Greek. The Greek messenger goddess. Say EE-rees”
From Spanish girl names, spanish girl names from nature and the sky
“A rainbow; Greek. Greek goddess of the rainbow”
From Vintage girl names, vintage flower, plant and gemstone names
How popular is Iris?
- US rank in 2025
- #61
- 3,729 babies, 2,320 per million girls
- Best rank
- #61 in 2025
- 3,729 babies that year
- Babies since 1880
- At least 101,550
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 91 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 168 per million |
| 1900s | 320 per million |
| 1910s | 535 per million |
| 1920s | 726 per million |
| 1930s | 763 per million |
| 1940s | 539 per million |
| 1950s | 461 per million |
| 1960s | 318 per million |
| 1970s | 303 per million |
| 1980s | 276 per million |
| 1990s | 308 per million |
| 2000s | 468 per million |
| 2010s | 877 per million |
| 2020s | 1,799 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #186 | #149 | #138 | #128 | #127 | #107 | #84 | #78 | #72 | #61 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Iris
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
Names with a similar meaning
- ĀnuenueA rainbow (Hawaiian, girl)
- KeshetRainbow (Hebrew, unisex)
Middle names for Iris
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Greek
- AlexandraDefender of men (Greek, girl)
- ElenaForm of Helen, probably from Greek torch (Greek, girl)
- IrenePeace, tranquility (Greek, girl)
- SofiaWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- SophieWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
- ZoeLife, living (Greek, girl)
- AnastasiaResurrection, rising again (Greek, girl)
- ChristinaFollower of Christ (Greek, girl)
- NicoleVictory of the people (Greek, girl)
- PetraRock, stone (Greek, girl)
Iris: common questions
What does the name Iris mean?
Iris comes from Greek and means "a rainbow".
Is Iris a boy or girl name?
Iris is mainly a girl's name. In 2025, 3,729 girls and 12 boys in the US were named Iris, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Iris come from?
Iris comes from Greek and means "a rainbow". Today it is used in English, French, German, Dutch, Greek and Spanish.
How popular is the name Iris?
Iris ranked #61 in the US in 2025, with 3,729 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Iris?
Names spelled like Iris include Irit, Irma, Inas, Ines and Ira.
What middle names go with Iris?
Middle names that flow well with Iris include Louisa, Lydia, Pearl, Poppy and Rosamund. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.