Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1918

Iona

Gender Girl Rank 2025 #2,667 Trend → Stable

Probably a misreading of Latin Ioua, an attempt to Latinize Old Irish Í.

Rank 2025
#2,667
among girls · ↑119 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
65
named Iona · -2% vs 2024
How common
1 in 24,727
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1918
404 babies
All-time total
12,261
#1,472 all-time among girls
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Iona popularity over time

12,261 babies have been named Iona since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.10.20.30.418801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s 224 – 224 22 – #379
1890s 455 – 455 46 +103% #378
1900s 838 – 838 84 +84% #344
1910s 2,362 – 2,362 236 +182% #318
1920s 3,151 – 3,151 315 +33% #338
1930s 1,747 – 1,747 175 -45% #422
1940s 887 – 887 89 -49% #704
1950s 610 – 610 61 -31% #1,029
1960s 290 – 290 29 -52% #1,819
1970s 198 – 198 20 -32% #2,706
1980s 139 – 139 14 -30% #3,727
1990s 126 – 126 13 -9% #4,569
2000s 305 5 310 31 +146% #3,879
2010s 543 – 543 54 +75% #2,441
2020s (to 2025) 376 5 381 64 +17% #2,416

Where Iona is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 girls Implied rank
2026 65 0.04 outside top 500
2027 65 0.04 outside top 500
2028 65 0.04 outside top 500
2029 64 0.04 outside top 500
2030 64 0.04 outside top 500

The story of Iona

Iona is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #2,667 in 2025 with 65 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 12,261 American babies have been named Iona. Its peak came in 1918, when 404 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1910s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Iona stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Iona?

The median living Iona is about 60 years old; half are between 15 and 80. An estimated 3,600 people named Iona are alive in the United States today.

median 60 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Iona year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 65 #2,667 – –
2024 61 #2,786 5 #13,026
2023 56 #2,994 – –
2022 76 #2,416 – –
2021 66 #2,618 – –
2020 52 #3,074 – –
2019 73 #2,441 – –
2018 68 #2,571 – –
2017 49 #3,271 – –
2016 59 #2,878 – –
2015 65 #2,724 – –
2014 59 #2,901 – –
2013 45 #3,491 – –
2012 42 #3,741 – –
2011 39 #3,870 – –
2010 44 #3,591 – –
2009 36 #4,222 – –
2008 30 #4,941 5 #13,292
2007 33 #4,506 – –
2006 39 #3,879 – –
2005 28 #4,753 – –
2004 35 #4,035 – –
2003 23 #5,299 – –
2002 22 #5,331 – –
2001 33 #3,894 – –
2000 26 #4,578 – –
1995 5 #14,269 – –
1990 8 #9,582 – –
1985 9 #7,167 – –
1980 15 #4,812 – –
1975 19 #3,552 – –
1970 24 #2,881 – –
1965 26 #2,368 – –
1960 37 #1,864 – –
1955 71 #1,190 – –
1950 71 #1,095 – –
1945 80 #845 – –
1940 97 #710 – –
1935 162 #499 – –
1930 232 #443 – –
1925 294 #399 – –
1920 374 #338 – –
1915 270 #364 – –
1910 124 #356 – –
1905 88 #359 – –
1900 83 #370 – –
1895 50 #400 – –
1890 37 #418 – –
1885 23 #442 – –
1880 18 #395 – –

Famous people named Iona

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Iona Yakir Iona Yakir Soviet military commander (1896–1937) 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Iona, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Iona?

The median living Iona is about 60 years old. Half of all living Ionas are between 15 and 80 years old.

How many people named Iona are alive today?

An estimated 3,600 people named Iona are alive in the United States, based on 12,261 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Iona mean?

Probably a misreading of Latin Ioua, an attempt to Latinize Old Irish Í.

How popular is the name Iona in 2025?

Iona ranked #2,667 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 65 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Iona?

12,261 babies have been named Iona in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Iona most popular?

Iona peaked in 1918, when 404 newborns received the name.

Is Iona a boy or girl name?

Iona is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Iona rising or falling?

Iona is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Iona become more popular?

Iona looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 64 girls named Iona in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Iona?

Well-known people named Iona include Iona Yakir (military personnel).

Names like Iona

Names that sound and feel close to Iona: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Iona with similar names → More names starting with I →