Iona
How to say it: eye-OH-nuh · /aɪˈoʊnə/
From the Scottish island of Iona, center of early Celtic Christianity - also linked to Hebrew Jonah 'dove'.
Iona was the 1,958th most popular girls’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 65 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1900s, its births are steady over ten years, and it is projected to slip to #2,019 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among girls’ names, 2025 | #1,958 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 65 |
| Share of births | 1 in 51,005 |
| Peak decade | 1900s |
| Change over 10 years | steady |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #2,019 |
| In France, 2025 | #2,541 among girls’ names, 5 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Iona peaked in the 1900s.
What goes with it
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Iona is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in English, French, Russian, Scottish Gaelic.
In France: #2,541 for girls in 2025.
Famous people named Iona
- Iona Anderson (born 2005)Australian swimmer
- Iona Moir (born 2003)British track cyclist
- Iona Brown (1941–2004)British violinist and conductor
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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