Iris
Girl name · #61 in 2025 · Well-known
Iris ranks #61 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 3,729 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #216, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 483 girls born in 2025 was named Iris.
Babies named Iris per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Iris first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 11 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 3,729 babies and a rank of #61. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Iris against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Iris in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Iris is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Iris is most common
Geography matters for names, and Iris is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Iris is most common in WY (12 per 1,000), AK (11 per 1,000), SD (7.2 per 1,000), ME (6.7 per 1,000), ND (6.3 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 2.9 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Iris is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Iris
Statistically, parents drawn to Iris tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Ivy, Eden, Ayla, Lucia, and Genesis.
IvyEdenAylaLuciaGenesisJosieElenaNaomi
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Iris | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,729 | #61 |
| 2024 | 3,136 | #71 |
| 2023 | 2,939 | #78 |
| 2022 | 2,935 | #84 |
| 2021 | 2,582 | #107 |
| 2020 | 2,178 | #127 |
| 2019 | 2,196 | #128 |
| 2018 | 2,128 | #138 |
| 2017 | 1,990 | #149 |
| 2016 | 1,751 | #186 |
| 2015 | 1,510 | #216 |
| 2014 | 1,330 | #244 |
| 2013 | 1,251 | #254 |
| 2012 | 1,134 | #281 |
| 2011 | 1,051 | #303 |
| 2010 | 1,011 | #315 |
| 2009 | 1,038 | #316 |
| 2008 | 973 | #342 |
| 2007 | 1,066 | #317 |
| 2006 | 880 | #369 |
| 2005 | 879 | #357 |
| 2004 | 832 | #376 |
| 2003 | 786 | #389 |
| 2002 | 772 | #383 |
| 2001 | 733 | #396 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Iris a popular girl name?
Iris ranked #61 among girls in 2025 with 3,729 babies given the name — firmly in the top 100, so yes, it’s a popular choice. Ten years earlier it ranked #216.
When was the name Iris most popular?
Iris peaked in 2025, when 3,729 American girls received the name (ranked #61 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Iris?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 483 newborn American girls was named Iris. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "well-known".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.