Choosing a name for your baby boy is one of the most meaningful parts of preparing for his arrival. If you’re drawn to the letter I, you’ll find familiar favorites alongside more distinctive choices.
If you’re searching for boy names that start with I, the list below includes a meaning or origin for each one. As you go, keep a shortlist of the I boy names you want to come back to.
Boy Names That Start With I
The names are sorted by style so you can go straight to the categories that interest you most.
10 Popular Boy Names That Start With I
In 2025, Isaac ranked No. 47 among U.S. boy names, making it the highest-ranking I name on this list.1 The names below are listed alphabetically.
1. Ian — A Scottish name meaning “the Lord is gracious.”
2. Ibrahim — Arabic for “father of multitudes.”
3. Iker — This name means “visitation” in Basque.
4. Imani — Arabic and Swahili for “faith.”
5. Isaac — A Hebrew name meaning “laughter.”
6. Isaiah — This name means “salvation of the Lord” in Hebrew.
7. Isaias — This name means “salvation of the Lord” in Latin.
8. Ismael — Spanish for “God will hear.”
9. Israel — In Hebrew, this name means “he who struggles with God.”
10. Ivan — This name means “God is gracious” in Russian.
30 Cute Boy Names That Start With I
1. Idi — This African name means “born during the Idd festival.”
2. Ido — A modern Hebrew form of Iddo, a biblical name possibly meaning “to pass by.”
3. Iesse — Latin for “gift.”
4. Iggy — An English diminutive of Ignatius, a name of uncertain Etruscan origin.
5. Ike — Hebrew for “laughter.”
6. Iku — This name means “nourishing” in Japanese.
7. Ilex — Latin for “holly.”
8. Ilya — A Russian name meaning “the Lord is my God.”
9. Indigo — This name means “Indian dye” in Greek.
10. Indio — In Spanish, this name means “Indian.”
11. Indy — This name means “land of Indians” in English.
12. Inez — Spanish for “pure.”
13. Ingbert — This name means “bright as an angel” in German and Swedish.
14. Iolo — Welsh for “wealthy lord.”
15. Iowerth — In Welsh, this name means “handsome lord.”
16. Iraia — This name means “the God wrestler” in Māori.
17. Ireland — Irish for “land of abundance.”
18. Irie — A Jamaican Patois word meaning “good,” “cool,” or “all right.”
19. Irv — Scottish for “handsome.”
20. Isai — This name means “gift” in Spanish.
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21. Isamu — This name means “brave” or “gallant” in Japanese.
22. Ismay — French for “beloved.”
23. Ismet — This Turkish name means “honor.”
24. Issa — An Arabic form of Jesus.
25. Iuma — This name means “tranquility” in Portuguese.
26. Ivano — Italian for “God is gracious.”
27. Ive — This Norse name means “yew wood” or “archer.”
28. Ives — This name means “yew wood” in English.
29. Ivo — German for “yew wood” or “archer.”
30. Izzy — An English diminutive of Isidore, Israel, and other names beginning with a similar sound.
10 Common Boy Names That Start With I
1. Idris — Welsh for “lord” and Arabic for “studious.”
2. Ignacio — The Spanish form of Ignatius, a name of uncertain Etruscan origin.
3. Iman — Arabic for “faith.”
4. Immanuel — A Hebrew and biblical name meaning “God is with us.”
5. Indiana — This American name means “land of the Indians” in English.
6. Ira — Hebrew for “watchful one.”
7. Irving — This Scottish name means “green river” or “sea friend.”
8. Isa — An Arabic form of Jesus used in the Quran.
9. Isha — This name means “master” or “lord” in Sanskrit.
10. Ivory — English for “pale white.”
37 Cool Boy Names That Start With I
1. Iago — Welsh for “supplanter.”
2. Icarus — A name from Greek mythology with an uncertain meaning.
3. Ichabod — A Hebrew name meaning “the glory is gone.”
4. Ichiro — Japanese for “firstborn son.”
5. Iezekiel — This name means “strength of God” in Hebrew.
6. Igino — Italian for “healthy.”
7. Ignatius — A Late Roman name of uncertain Etruscan origin that was later associated with the Latin word ignis, meaning “fire.”
8. Ignazio — The Italian form of Ignatius, a name of uncertain Etruscan origin.
9. Igor — An Old Norse name meaning “warrior.”
10. Ihan — Hebrew for “God is gracious” and Arabic for “full moon.”
11. Ikem — This Nigerian name means “God is my strength.”
12. Ikenna — This name means “father’s power” in Igbo.
13. Ilan — Hebrew for “tree.”
14. Ilja — A form of Elijah used in several European languages; the name means “my God is Yahweh.”
15. Ilori — This African name means “special treasure” in Yoruba.
16. Imam — Arabic for “leader.”
17. Immanuele — This name means “God is with us” in Hebrew.
18. Indra — Sanskrit for “possessing drops of rain.”
19. Infinite — English for “endless possibilities.”
20. Ingall — This name means “angel” in German and “Ing’s wolf” in Old Norse.
21. Ingo — German and Scandinavian for “protected by Yngvi.”
22. Ingraham — A German name meaning “angel raven.”
23. Inigo — An English form of the Spanish name Íñigo; its meaning is uncertain.
24. Ioan — Welsh and Romanian for “God is gracious.”
25. Iobhar — This name means “yew” in Irish and “bow warrior” in Gaelic.
26. Ion — Romanian and Basque for “God is gracious.”
27. Iram — This name means “heaven” in Arabic.
28. Irl — An Old English name meaning “nobleman.”
29. Irvine — Scottish for “handsome.”
30. Irwin — An English name meaning “boar friend.”
31. Isagani — This name means “bountiful harvest” in Tagalog.
32. Ismail — This name means “God will hear” in Arabic.
33. Itachi — Japanese for “weasel.”
34. Ivanhoe — A literary name associated with the title character in Sir Walter Scott’s novel Ivanhoe.
35. Ivar — Norse for “yew wood” or “archer.”
36. Iverson — An Old Norse name meaning “Ivar’s son.”
37. Izaiah — This name means “salvation of the Lord” in Hebrew.
68 Unique Boy Names That Start With I
1. Iain — Gaelic for “God is gracious.”
2. Iapetos — A Greek name meaning “to wound” or “to pierce.”
3. Iarla — This name means “ruler” in Irish and Gaelic.
4. Iason — Greek for “healer.”
5. Idir — This African name means “alive” in Berber.
6. Iestyn — This name means “just” or “fair” in Welsh.
7. Ieuan — In Welsh, this name means “God is gracious.”
8. Iggi — An African name meaning “only son.”
9. Ignace — The French form of Ignatius, a name of uncertain Etruscan origin.
10. Ihsan — This name means “perfection” in Arabic.
11. Ikaika — A Hawaiian name meaning “strong.”
12. Ikey — This name means “laughter” in Hebrew.
13. Ilario — Latin for “cheerful” or “happy.”
14. Ilay — A Greek name meaning “light.”
15. Imhotep — An Egyptian name meaning “he comes in peace.”
16. Imre — The meaning of this name is “strength” in Hungarian.
17. Imrich — Slovak for “great ruler.”
18. Imtiyaz — An Arabic name meaning “distinction.”
19. Inácio — The Portuguese form of Ignatius, a name of uncertain Etruscan origin.
20. Inderjit — This name means “victorious” in Sikh.
21. Indrek — An Estonian form of Henry, a Germanic name meaning “home ruler.”
22. Ingemar — Old Norse for “warrior.”
23. Ingram — A German name meaning “angel raven.”
24. Ingvar — This Scandinavian name means “warrior of Yngvi.”
25. Iniko — This name means “born at a time of trouble” in Igbo.
26. Iniyan — This name means “one who is pleasant-natured” in Tamil.
27. Innes — Scottish for “from the river island.”
28. Inojin — A Japanese name meaning “boar person.”
29. Ioannis — This name means “God is gracious” in Greek.
30. Ionatan — Irish for “Yahweh has given.”
31. Iosif — Russian for “God will add.”
32. Iqbal — An Arabic name meaning “fortunate.”
33. Irem — This name means “garden in heaven” in Turkish.
34. Irenaeus — A Greek name meaning “peace.”
35. Irfan — Arabic for “knowledge.”
36. Irven — Scottish for “green river” or “sea friend.”
37. Isiah — This name means “God is salvation” in Hebrew.
38. Isam — Arabic for “promise.”
39. Isambard — An English name meaning “bright iron.”
40. Isao — This name means “bravery” or “courage” in Japanese.
41. Iseul — Korean for “dew.”
42. Ishaan — This name means “the sun” in Hindi.
43. Ishvi — This name means “he resembles me” in Hebrew.
44. Ishmael — Hebrew for “God will hear.”
45. Isidore — A Greek name meaning “gift of Isis.”
46. Isidro — This name means “gift of Isis” in Spanish.
47. Iskander — This Indonesian name means “defending men.”
48. Isle — English for “small island.”
49. Islwyn — This name means “below the grove” in Welsh.
50. Ismo — The Finnish form of Ishmael, meaning “God will hear.”
51. Isnin — A Malay word meaning “Monday,” borrowed from Arabic.
52. Isocrates — A Greek name meaning “equal power.”
53. Issiah — Hebrew for “salvation of the Lord.”
54. Itai — This name means “with me” in Hebrew.
55. Italo — This name means “from Italy” in Italian.
56. Itiel — Hebrew for “the Lord is with me.”
57. Itoro — Ibibio for “praise” or “glory.”
58. Iustinus — A Latin name meaning “just.”
59. Itzal — This name means “shadow” in Basque.
60. Iyan — An Arabic name meaning “era.”
61. Iyar — Hebrew for “light.”
62. Izaak — A Hebrew name meaning “laughter.”
63. Izan — A modern Spanish form of Ethan, meaning “firm” or “enduring.”
64. Izaya — This name means “one who looks over the crowd” in Japanese.
65. Izidor — Hungarian for “gift of Isis.”
66. Izotz — This name means “ice” in Basque.
67. Iztok — Slovene for “east.”
68. Izuku — A Japanese name meaning “long exit.”
71 Rare Boy Names That Start With I
1. Iacovo — A Hebrew name meaning “supplanter.”
2. Iaian — Scottish for “the Lord is gracious.”
3. Iakob — Hebrew for “he who supplants.”
4. Iakona — This name means “healer” in Hawaiian.
5. Iann — This Scottish name means “the Lord is gracious.”
6. Iarlaith — Gaelic and Irish for “ruler.”
7. Iban — A Spanish name meaning “God is gracious.”
8. Ibis — This name means “long-legged bird” in Latin.
9. Ibraheem — Arabic for “father of multitudes.”
10. Idan — This name means “era” or “time” in Hebrew.
11. Iddo — A biblical Hebrew name possibly meaning “to pass by.”
12. Idowu — An African name meaning “born after twins” in Yoruba.
13. Idrissa — This name means “interpreter” in Arabic.
14. Idwal — This name means “lord of the wall” in Welsh.
15. Iefan — Welsh for “God is gracious.”
16. Ifiok — This name means “wisdom” in Ibibio.
17. Igasho — A Native American name meaning “wanderer.”
18. Ignac — The Slovene form of Ignatius, a name of uncertain Etruscan origin.
19. Ignacy — The Polish form of Ignatius, a name of uncertain Etruscan origin.
20. Ignatz — A German form of Ignatius, a name of uncertain Etruscan origin.
21. Ihab — Arabic for “gift.”
22. Ihor — This Scandinavian name means “God of abundance.”
23. Ikabod — A Hebrew name meaning “the glory is gone.”
24. Ikarus — The German form of Icarus, a Greek mythological name of uncertain meaning.
25. Ikeem — An Arabic name meaning “wise and thoughtful.”
26. Ikie — This name means “laughter” in Hebrew.
27. Ilarion — Latin for “cheerful.”
28. Ildefonso — Spanish for “battle ready.”
29. Ilias — This name means “Yahweh is God” in Hebrew.
30. Illinois — This name means “men” or “warriors” in French.
31. Ilmarinen — A Finnish name meaning “air.”
32. Ilva — Old Norse for “she-wolf.”
33. Imagine — An English name meaning “to form a mental image.”
34. Imamu — This name means “spiritual leader” in Swahili.
35. Imari — Japanese for “clothing.”
36. Imray — This name means “strength” or “power” in Hungarian.
37. Imri — This Hebrew name means “to say” or “my statement.”
38. Indalecio — Spanish for “teacher.”
39. Inderpal — This name means “protector of Indra” in Hindi.
40. Indrajit — This name means “conqueror of Indra” in Sanskrit.
41. Infinity — English for “forever.”
42. Ingamar — A Norse name meaning “son of Ing.”
43. Inman — This name means “innkeeper” in English.
44. Inness — This name means “from the river island” in Scottish.
45. Innocent — A Latin name meaning “harmless.”
46. Insula — Latin for “island.”
47. Iokepa — This name means “God will increase” in Hebrew.
48. Ioseph — Hebrew for “God will multiply.”
49. Iosip — This name means “Jehovah increases” in Hebrew.
50. Iran — Persian for “land of the Aryans.”
51. Ireneo — A Greek name meaning “peace.”
52. Iresh — This name means “the lord of the earth” in Hindi.
53. Irish — An English name meaning “relating to Ireland.”
54. Irvin — Scottish for “handsome.”
55. Isaak — A Hebrew name meaning “laughter.”
56. Isais — This name means “salvation of God” in Hebrew.
57. Isander — This name means “like a man” in Greek.
58. Isham — An English name meaning “from the iron of one’s estate.”
59. Ismat — This name means “purity” in Arabic.
60. Isra — Arabic for “journey of the night.”
61. Issachar — This name means “there is reward” in Hebrew.
62. Istu — A Native American name meaning “sugar.”
63. Istvan — Hungarian for “crown” or “wreath.”
64. Itamar — In Hebrew, this name means “date palm island.”
65. Itzhak — A Hebrew form of Isaac, meaning “he will laugh.”
66. Iver — A Norse name meaning “yew wood” or “archer.”
67. Ivica — Slavic for “God is gracious.”
68. Ivor — This name means “yew” in Scottish.
69. Iwan — A Russian name meaning “God is gracious.”
70. Izick — This Hebrew name means “laughter.”
71. Izrael — Hebrew for “he who struggles with God.”
Once a few favorites stand out, try each one with your last name and consider the initials and nicknames. The name you keep returning to may be the one that feels right.
For more ideas, visit our baby names hub or continue with these related name lists:
- Unique Baby Boy Names and Their Meanings
- Rare Baby Boy Names
- Cute Baby Boy Names
- Cool Baby Boy Names
- Baby Names With Great Nicknames
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