Choosing your baby’s first initial is a great first step in discovering her perfect name. I baby girl names are very popular today but there are just a few mega-popular names driving the initial’s favor. Isabella, Ivy, Iris, and Isla are the big four in the top 250 most popular names for girls but there are many, many more to discover.
We wanted to give expecting parents a curated list of baby girl names that start with I that might be flying just below your radar. Yes, you will find some old favorites on this list but we hope to present you with some new possibilities for a truly inspired baby name choice. That means we will take a look at some names that have slipped through the cracks over time and other options from around the world that have never established themselves in the US. Take a look at these super fresh I baby girl names!
Get Inspired by These I Baby Girl Names!
Imogen
A storied Celtic name, Imogen has taken hold wherever English is spoken but is least popular in the United States. The name means “maiden.” It’s on the rise in the US, however, and could crack the US top 1000 most popular names in the coming years.
Ione
A gorgeous Greek flower and color name, Ione could be the next Iris. This name means “violet-colored stone.”
Ingrid
A name with Viking appeal, Ingrid comes from Old Norse and means “Ing is beautiful.” The name refers to Ing, the Norse god of fertility, prosperity, and peace.
Isadora
With the overwhelming popularity of Isabella, it’s a mystery why the Greek name Isasadora has yet to take off with parents today. The name means “gift of Isis” and refers to the Egyptian goddess who was worshipped all over the ancient world.
Ines
Ines is a variant form of Agnes that is found in many baby naming traditions around Europe. Though well-known, the name has not been a popular choice in the US since 1929. As with Agnes, Ines means “pure.” It’s one of the familiar I baby girl names we hope makes a substantial comeback.
Ida
This name is still seen as a “grandma name” which is baffling because so many like it have returned to favor in recent decades. Ida has been out of fashion since the 1980s but we think it’s time to bring it back. We can’t let Iris have all the fun! Ida has German roots that translate to “industrious.”
Ianthe
Ancient mythology names are a hot trend right now with celebs choosing names like Jupiter and Atlas for their babies., Ianthe could be the next name resurrected from antiquity and put to good use today. The name means “purple flower.” According to myth, Ianthe was so beautiful that when she died the gods made purple flowers spring from her grave.
Izara
A multi-cultural name that’s found in a few naming traditions, Izara is best-known as a Basque name that means “star” but that’s not the only celestial connection this charming name has. It also refers to a star in the constellation Boötes in Arabic. Izara is one of the most energetic I baby girl names that we would love to hear much more of.
Iona
Iona names a small island off the coast of Scotland. It was once a smash hit in the United States before it fell from favor in the 1940s. It could be time for this one to make a comeback. The name is well-used in Scotland today. In the US, it could make for a lovely alternative to Isla.
Isa
With the popularity of Isabel and Isabella today, Isa could prove a worthy alternative among the I baby girl names. It’s short and sweet and has a great meaning in “strong-willed.” The name was popular at the turn of the 20th century in the US. Let’s bring her back!
Indira
A hero-name due to its association with the iconic Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, Indira enjoys Sanskrit roots that mean “beauty.” A real winner all-around!
Imelda
A pan-European name that’s a Spanish and Italian form of an old German appellation, Imelda could find a home in the US with the right parents. It’s got one of the most evocative meanings of any of these I baby girl names in “all-consuming fight.” Okay!
Ilaria
Ilaria is the Latinate form of the name Hillary, and we think the extra syllable brings so much to the table. As with Hillary, this name means “happy” and “cheerful.” The name is currently popular in the UK and Italy but has yet to cause a stir in the US. Let’s change that!
RELATED: 50 Meaningful Rainbow Baby Names for Girls & Boys
Ita
If you’ve got Irish heritage, you’ve got a virtually unknown baby name just waiting for you to choose it. Ita is an Irish name that means “thirst.” The name belonged to a legendary Irish saint who is considered the “foster-mother” of all the Irish saints because she founded a nunnery in the county Limerick.
RELATED: 50 Meaningful Rainbow Baby Names for Girls & Boys
Ilana
A name that’s well-used in Israel, Ilana is a gorgeous name with the perfect natural meaning for tree-hugging parents. The name means “oak tree.” It’s often given to babies born around the Jewish holiday that’s known as the New Year of the Trees.
Inaya
Inaya is a delicate and lyrical Arabic name that you will sometimes see spelled Anaya. However you choose to spell it, it’s one of the most beautiful I baby girl names on this list. Inaya comes complete with the warm meaning “care.”
Iola
Isla and Iona are already possibilities but what about the Greek and Welsh name Iola? Iola is a vowel-heavy name that is pronounced ye-OH-lah in Greek and YO-la in Welsh. In the Greek tradition, the name means “violet.” To the Welsh, Iola means “beautiful lady.”
Inola
If you happen to have Cherokee heritage, you have the perfect name just waiting for you to discover it in Inola which means “bear.”
Isley
One of the I baby girl names we definitely see heating up in the coming years, Isley. It’s the perfect answer to the ubiquitous Isla. Isley can be considered a form of a German occupational name that means “blacksmith” or of Old English origin as a name that means “hazel grove.”
Illyria
Illyria offers a little bit more mystery than Ilaria and it’s one of our favorite I baby girl names on the list. Virtually unknown in the US. Illyria refers to an Ancient Greek place called Illyricum (found on the Balkan peninsula) that was eventually conquered by the Romans. The citizens were called Illyrians due to their mythological ancestor Illyrius.
Irie
For those out there with Jamaican ties, Irie could prove a most winning name. The name is used across the Caribbean. It is taken from a Rastafarian term that loosely means “positive and powerful.” How fantastic is that?
Inka
Curiously, Inka is a Greek female form of a root that gives us Philip. The name also means “lover of horses.” It’s never found wide favorability in the US, but it just might be the perfect choice for your family.
Idalia
Another one of the Greek I baby girl names to land on this list, Idalia was used as an epithet of the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite. It’s the perfect name for a summer baby as it means “behold the sun.”
Indigo
A name that’s been popular in the UK and Australia, Indigo is a Greek name that refers to “Indian dye.” It’s one of the best color names of all of the ones we’ve shared among these I baby girl names. We expect this name to crack the US top 1000 in the next couple of years.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: 30 Exciting E Baby Girl Names to Consider
Iolani
Pronounced ee-oh-lahn-ee, Iolani is a rhythmic Hawaiian name for girls that is just stunning. As with so many of the I baby girl names on this list, it’s got a great meaning in “hawk of royalty.”
There you go! We hope you found some I baby girl names that will work for your little girl on the way. There are so many excellent names for girls that start with I to choose from and we urge you to do so! Happy baby name hunting!