Iona is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Iona means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Iona across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Iona has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Iona is a girl name of Scottish (Gaelic) origin meaning “from Iona island”. From the Scottish island name, a center of early Christianity.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 12,261 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 3,652 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 3,274 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 159 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 139 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Iona per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1918 (404/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2000 (210/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2007 (144/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2011 (12/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2008 (11/yr).
Iona has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1918, when it ranked #587 nationally (given to 404 babies that year).
Anna · Ian · Ana · Ina · Ena · Ione · Una · Ona
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