Iris
Iris is a girls' name of Greek origin meaning “rainbow.” It ranked #70 in the United States in 2025. Iris was the Greek goddess of the rainbow who served as a messenger between gods and humanity.
how do you pronounce Iris?
EYE-ris
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Iris mean?
The name Iris means “rainbow.” It comes from the Greek language tradition.
Iris was the Greek goddess of the rainbow who served as a messenger between gods and humanity. The name also evokes the iris flower and the colored part of the eye. Its multi-layered symbolism and brevity fuel its rapid rise.
where does the name Iris come from?
The Greek ἶρις, meaning rainbow, and the name of the goddess who personified it. The same word names the flower and the coloured part of the eye — all three senses descend from the single Greek word for the range of colours in a rainbow.
the history of Iris
Iris carried messages between the gods and mortals in Greek myth, travelling along the rainbow as her road, a counterpart to Hermes. The flower was named for the variety of its colours, and the eye's iris for the same reason. The name belongs to the Victorian botanical wave and returned to the British and American top hundred after 2000.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2024 | #70 |
| 2023 | #78 |
| 2022 | #89 |
| 2021 | #102 |
| 2020 | #127 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
what are the nicknames and variants of Iris?
Nicknames
Variants around the world
who are famous people named Iris?
- Iris Murdoch (British-Irish novelist)
- Iris Apfel (American fashion icon)
- Iris (Greek goddess of the rainbow)
what names are similar to Iris?
what names go well with Iris?
Sibling names that share Iris's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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