Iona
Girl name · #2647 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Iona? In official American birth records, Iona has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Iona ranks #2647 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 65 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #2712, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 27,692 girls born in 2025 was named Iona.
Babies named Iona per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Iona first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 18 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1918, when 404 girls were named Iona — good for #317 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. 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 Iona against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Iona in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Iona is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Iona will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Iona is most common
State-level data for Iona is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Iona
Statistically, parents drawn to Iona tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Verona, Una, Iva, Verena, and Ina.
VeronaUnaIvaVerenaInaGoldaMaidaLavina
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Iona | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 65 | #2645 |
| 2024 | 61 | #2775 |
| 2023 | 56 | #2975 |
| 2022 | 76 | #2404 |
| 2021 | 66 | #2608 |
| 2020 | 52 | #3061 |
| 2019 | 73 | #2428 |
| 2018 | 68 | #2557 |
| 2017 | 49 | #3247 |
| 2016 | 59 | #2866 |
| 2015 | 65 | #2712 |
| 2014 | 59 | #2888 |
| 2013 | 45 | #3465 |
| 2012 | 42 | #3711 |
| 2011 | 39 | #3843 |
| 2010 | 44 | #3572 |
| 2009 | 36 | #4196 |
| 2008 | 30 | #4882 |
| 2007 | 33 | #4475 |
| 2006 | 39 | #3854 |
| 2005 | 28 | #4704 |
| 2004 | 35 | #3989 |
| 2003 | 23 | #5235 |
| 2002 | 22 | #5254 |
| 2001 | 33 | #3864 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Iona?
In official American birth records, the name Iona first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 18 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Iona a popular girl name?
Iona ranked #2647 among girls in 2025 with 65 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2712.
When was the name Iona most popular?
Iona peaked in 1918, when 404 American girls received the name (ranked #317 that year). Since 1918 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Iona?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 27,692 newborn American girls was named Iona. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.