The more names you see, the greater the chance you’ll come across the perfect name for your bundle of joy, and this list of names beginning with I is full of ideas.
Every family has their own unique ideas about what makes a good baby name. You might be looking for classic baby names that have stood the test of time, something that follows contemporary trends for boys’ names, or a totally unique baby name that no-one else has.
We feel that the best names for a boy are the ones you like and that you’ll enjoy calling him as much when he’s forty as when he’s a cute little four-month-old. Most parents want baby names that mean something to them.
For example, Christians may choose Biblical boys’ names like Isaac, while musicians might look at boys’ names that remind them of music. You might choose names reflecting the person you hope he’ll be, or an old family name.
Parents of twins might want baby names that work together, or you might prefer baby names that are totally unique. It’s all about finding the right name for you and your family.
To help you choose, we’ve put together this list of 70 baby boys’ names beginning with I, including names from film, literature, mythology, and more. With this many baby boy names starting with I, we hope you’ll find something to inspire you.
Classic Baby Boy Names That Start With the Letter I
These baby boy names starting with I have stood the test of time for a reason.
Ian (Scottish): God is gracious. A form of John, this is one of those baby names with more than one spelling. It’s also often spelt Iain.
Igor (Russian): farmer;warrior of peace. Some say this is a Russian name meaning warrior of peace, and others say it’s a form of George.
Isaac (Hebrew): laughter. Biblical baby name belonging to the son of Abraham and Sarah.
Isaiah (Hebrew): salvation of the Lord. Isaiah was one of the major prophets in the Bible and has been a popular boys’ name for decades.
Ivan (Russian): God is gracious. Form of John.
Contemporary Baby Names That Start With I
These boy names that start with the letter I are bang on-trend. All of them pick up on one or more trends in boys’ names that have been showing up in the charts in the last couple of years.
Iakovos (Greek): supplanter. Jacob has been one of the most popular boys’ names in recent years – here’s a version beginning with the letter I, with a Greek spin.
Ignacio (Spanish): fire. Spanish and Italian names have been climbing the baby name charts recently.
Ikram (Arabic): honour; respect. This name for a polite baby boy follows the recent gain in popularity of Arabic and Muslim names.
Ingvar (Norse): warrior. Like Spanish, Italian and Arabic names, Nordic names have been increasing in popularity recently with many parents. This baby name starting with I fits right in.
Ioakim (Hebrew): established by God. This version of Joachim makes a lovely I name for boys as well as picking up on the recent surge in popularity of Hebrew names in many places.
Vintage Boys’ Names Beginning With I
Oldies but goodies, these baby boy names starting with I might have slipped into obscurity for a while, but it’s time for them to make a comeback.
Ilarion (Latin): cheerful. A bright baby name for a happy boy.
Ilbert (Old German): battle-bright. This boy name beginning with I was popular in Norman times but is rare these days.
Irwyn (Old English): friend of boars.
Isembard (Old German): iron bard.
Isidore (Greek): gift of Isis, the Egyptian goddess of motherhood.
Celebrity Boy Names That Start With I
These baby boys’ names beginning with I belong to famous faces like Idris Elba, Ingmar Bergman and more.
Idris (Welsh, Arabic). One of the many baby names with multiple meanings. In Welsh, this name means lord and belongs to a giant. In Arabic, it means fiery and is the name of a prophet. Most famous for belonging to the actor Idris Elba.
Ike (Hebrew, American): laughter. Short for Isaac or for Dwight. This was the nickname of US President Dwight Eisenhower during his election campaign.
Ingmar (Scandinavian): son of Ing. Ing is a Norse God, but when we hear this name we think of a god of the silver screen – director Ingmar Bergman.
Ira (): stallion. This name has belonged to a wealth of novelists and filmmakers and is especially popular in the USA.
Irvine (Gaelic): handsome. The name of Scottish novelist Irvine Welsh, among others.
Cultural Names For Boys, Starting With The Letter I
These boy names that start with I appear in plays, books and films and belong to a fantastic array of characters.
Iachimo (Italian) Cymbeline. The name of a character in Shakespeare’s play Cymbeline.
Ianto (Welsh): God is gracious. A Welsh form of John that also belongs to the character Ianto Jones on the BBC series Torchwood.
Ichabod (Hebrew): glory has gone. Ichabod Crane is the central character in Washington Irving’s famous novel, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
Indiana (American): a US state. The hero of the Indiana Jones films chose this name for himself.
Inigo (Spanish): fire. This pet name for Ignacio belongs to the character of Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride.
Ivanhoe (Slavic): God is gracious. Another of the many baby names related to John, this medieval variant was used by Sir Walter Scott in his famous novel.
Biblical Baby Boy Names That Start With I
Like Isaac on our classic list above, these boys’ names beginning with I either come from characters in the Bible or come with a Christian meaning attached.
Ibzan (Hebrew): splendid. One of the judges of Israel in the Bible.
Ilya (Russian): strength of God. Although this name doesn’t appear in the Bible, it’s still a great Christian-themed name for a baby boy.
Immanuel (Hebrew): God is with us. This name can also be spelt, Emmanuel.
Ishmael (Hebrew): God hears. Another biblical baby boy name with Hebrew origins.
Israel (Hebrew): may God prevail. This baby boy name of Hebrew origin also belongs to a Middle-Eastern state.
Mythical Boy Names Starting With I
These baby names that start with I originally belonged to characters in myths and legends across the world. We’re not saying your baby boy will automatically become a legend if he has one of these names beginning with I, but it can’t hurt.
Icarus (Greek): the mythic figure who flew too close to the sun.
Iddawg (Welsh): son of the hero Mynyo in Welsh myth.
Inder (Sikh): a name for the god Indra.
Ingram (Norse): Ing’s raven. Ing was a Norse god.
Isdemus (Old English): one of the knights of King Arthur.
Ishvara (Sanskrit): lord. This name belongs to a concept in Hinduism that can be translated as lord or supreme soul.
Nature Names That Start With I
Baby-names that remind people of the beauty of nature are always popular. These baby boy names starting with I have a natural feel.
Ibon (Basque, Teutonic): yew; archer. This is one of those baby boy names that comes with a double meaning.
Idal (Old English): from the yew tree valley.
Iden (Old English): from the land by the yew tree. This baby boy name fits well with Idal, above, and might make a nice pair of boy names starting with I for twins or siblings.
Ilan (Hebrew): tree. Another tree-related baby name, this one comes from the Aramaic.
Innis (Irish): island.
Iye (Native American): smoke.
Short Boys’ Names Beginning With I
Short, sweet and complete, these baby boy names starting with I pack a lot of meaning into a few letters.
Iau (Welsh): life.
Ib (Danish/Phoenician): vow of Baal. Or form of Abba (Aramaic): father. Or (Danish) short for Jakob. This name has more meanings than it does letters.
Imri (Hebrew): tall.
Isam (Arabic): safeguard.
Ivor (Welsh): Lord.
Personality Names For Boys Starting With I
These baby names beginning with I will tell the world what kind of baby boy you’re hoping to raise.
Imran (Arabic): prosperity.
Innocenzio (Italian): innocent.
Iolo (Welsh): worthy lord. Pet name for Lorwerth, a traditional Welsh name.
Iqbal (Persian): prosperity. Or (Punjabi): strength. This is another of those boy names starting with I that have more than one meaning.
Irfan (Arabic): wisdom.
Boys’ Names From Around The World
These baby boy names beginning with I are gathered from countries and cultures all over the world.
Idogbe (Yoruba) born after twins. This African name is great for a boy with twin siblings.
Igasho (Native American): wanders.
Igbe (Edo): noble.
Ikaika (Hawaiian): strong.
Imre (Hungarian): strength.
Ivar (Norse):archer.
Classic Boy Names Beginning With I In Other Languages
Some classic baby boy names whose spellings in other languages begin with the letter I.
Iago (Spanish): supplanter. Spanish form of Jacob.
Ibrahim (Arabic): father of nations. The Arabic form of Abraham.
Ilias (Greek): my God is Jehovah. Form of Elijah or Elias.
Istvan (Hungarian): crown. A form of Stephen.
Ionel (Romanian): God is gracious. Version of John.
Ioseph (Greek): God multiplies. Form of Joseph
Unique Baby Boy Names That Start With I
As baby names go, these unusual boys’ names stand out from the crowd.
Ighneachan (Irish): strong man.
Izmirlian (Armenian): from Izmir.
Inaki (Basque): fire. Basque form of Ignatio.
Itesham (Muslim, Urdu): honourable; magnificent.
Isen (Anglo-Saxon): iron.
We hope you’ve found some great names to help you on your baby name search.
Sources
