Iris is a Greek name meaning ‘the messenger of the gods among themselves’ but it is also the personification of the Greek word for rainbow. So, either way, it has an amazing meaning.
You might also be familiar with the use of the word ‘iris’ to describe part of the eye. Now, this is very different from the name’s other meaning but it’s beautiful nonetheless.
This name is also mostly used for female children rather than males and will ensure your little one has the most perfect and unique name for them.
- Iris Name Origin: Greek
- Iris Name Meaning: The messenger of the gods among themselves
- Pronunciation: EYE-riss
- Gender: Commonly used as a girls name
How Popular is the Name Iris?
Iris is quite a unique name but this certainly doesn’t mean it’s not popular. It reached 107th on the list of most popular girls’ names and even made it to the boy’s list although slightly lower down at 5978th.
Did you know that 1 in every 693 girls born in 2021 was called Iris? Maybe your baby girl will be joining that number in the coming years.
Variations of the Name Iris
Maybe you’re a fan of the name Iris but don’t think it’s quite the right name for you. Well let’s take a look at some alternatives you could use instead.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
| Eirys | Snowdrop | Welsh |
| Elestren | Iris | Cornish |
| Ayame | Iris | Japanese |
| Ivy | Climbing evergreen plant | British |
| Alice | Noble, kind appearance | German |
| Isla | Derived from a Scottish island, Islay, also meaning island | Scottish |
Other Amazing Greek Girls Names
If you have your heart set on a greek name but don’t think that Iris is quite right, check out some of these other amazing choices.
| Name | Meaning |
| Athena | Goddess of wisdom |
| Daphne | Laurel |
| Helen | Light |
| Penelope | Weaver |
| Phoebe | Bright |
| Selene | The moon |
| Clio | Glory, the muse of historical poetry |
Alternative Girl Names Starting With ‘I’
So, what if you’re all up for the letter ‘I’, maybe to match a sibling, but aren’t completely sold on the name Iris? Well, what about some of these other great names instead?
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
| Ivanna | God is gracious | Slavic |
| Ivory | Pale white | English |
| Irene | Peace | Greek |
| Isabella | God is my oath | Spanish and Italian |
| Iliana | Ray of light | Greek |
| Imelda | Universal battle, warrior woman | Spanish and Italian |
| Iesha | Prosperous, alive and well, life | Hebrew, Arabic, and Swahili |
Famous People Named Iris
We’ve mentioned that Iris is quite a unique name but there are certainly plenty of famous people with the name Iris. You might be familiar with some of them and others might be completely new to you so let’s take a look.
- Iris Adrian – American actress
- Iris Apfel – American fashion icon
- Iris von Arnim – German Fashion designer
- Iris Ashley – Stage and film actress
- Iris Apatow – American actress