Girl name · Old English
Ivy
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: ivy plantIvy is a girl's name that comes from Old English and means "ivy plant". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- Ivy plant
- Origin
- Old English
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #39 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Ivy
As a girl's name, Ivy comes from Old English and means "ivy plant". It is used in English.
Ivy is also a surname: the 2,665th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 13,218 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Ivy on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Ivy on 9 lists.
“Holly's evergreen partner in the old carol”
From Christmas nicknames, cute Christmas nicknames
“Grows smarter with every conversation”
From Nicknames for ChatGPT, human-sounding names for an AI assistant
“Pairs with holly in the old English carol”
From Reindeer names, girl reindeer names
“A climbing plant for a cat who climbs everything”
From Female cat names, classic girl cat names
“Climbs everywhere, including onto the couch”
From Girl dog names, flower and nature names for girl dogs
“Climbing evergreen plant; Old English. Short and fresh”
From Girl middle names, flower and nature middle names
“Climbs walls just like the plant”
From Spider names, good spider names
“English word name for the evergreen climbing plant”
From Nature names, nature names for girls
“Evergreen climbing vine; Old English. A green, graceful 1900s pick”
From Vintage girl names, vintage flower, plant and gemstone names
How popular is Ivy?
- US rank in 2025
- #39
- 5,117 babies, 3,184 per million girls
- Best rank
- #36 in 2024
- 5,343 babies that year
- Babies since 1880
- At least 82,713
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 387 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 344 per million |
| 1900s | 239 per million |
| 1910s | 161 per million |
| 1920s | 99 per million |
| 1930s | 74 per million |
| 1940s | 57 per million |
| 1950s | 130 per million |
| 1960s | 107 per million |
| 1970s | 167 per million |
| 1980s | 181 per million |
| 1990s | 284 per million |
| 2000s | 503 per million |
| 2010s | 1,342 per million |
| 2020s | 2,937 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #112 | #108 | #86 | #67 | #57 | #49 | #42 | #38 | #36 | #39 |
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 Ivy
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
Names with a similar meaning
Middle names for Ivy
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Old English
- EdithRich in war (Old English, girl)
- StormTempest (Old English, unisex)
- AudreyNoble strength (Old English, girl)
- HarperHarp player (Old English, unisex)
- LindenLime tree (Old English, unisex)
- LindsayLincoln island (Old English, unisex)
- SundayDay of the sun (Old English, unisex)
- ÆlfflædElf beauty (Old English, girl)
- ÆlfgifuElf gift (Old English, girl)
- ÆlfthrythElf strength (Old English, girl)
Ivy: common questions
What does the name Ivy mean?
Ivy comes from Old English and means "ivy plant".
Is Ivy a boy or girl name?
Ivy is mainly a girl's name. In 2025, 5,117 girls and 7 boys in the US were named Ivy, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Ivy come from?
Ivy comes from Old English and means "ivy plant". Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Ivy?
Ivy ranked #39 in the US in 2025, with 5,117 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Ivy?
Names spelled like Ivy include Ida, Ife, Iga, Ige and Ira.
What middle names go with Ivy?
Middle names that flow well with Ivy include Clementine, Daphne, Juniper, Leigh and Margaret. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.