Total births
12,251
Girls' name · since 1880
Iona
12,251 babies named Iona in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1918. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #2778
- among girls today
- 12,251
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 84%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Iona is the #2778 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 12,251 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Iona recorded 12,251 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #2778 nationally today, ahead of 84% of girls, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #2778 among girls today
- 12,251 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 84% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Iona is currently the #2778 girls' name in America, more common than 84% of girls - 12,251 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #2778
- among girls today
- 12,251
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 84%
- more common than other girls
Iona vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#2778
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 84% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
26% of everyone ever named Iona was born in this single decade.
1918
Single peak year
404 babies were named Iona in 1918 - its busiest year on record.
How Iona compares
12,251 Top 8% higher than 92% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Iona's all-time total is 32x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Iona | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 12,251 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 404 | 48 | 19,840 |
Iona's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Iona splits its recorded history at 1953: 19% of all births land in the more recent half, 81% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1995 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1918 peak of 404 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Iona at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1918
Current rank
#2,778
Active since
1880
Iona popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1918)
- 404
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Iona popularity over time - boys
10 total births recorded since 2008 (Iona as boys' name)
Iona by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Iona's strongest decade.
3,151 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.
Iona births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 224
1880s
224 births
- 1890s 455
1890s
455 births
- 1900s 838
1900s
838 births
- 1910s
1910s
2,362 births
- 1920s
1920s
3,151 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,747 births
- 1940s 887
1940s
887 births
- 1950s 610
1950s
610 births
- 1960s 290
1960s
290 births
- 1970s 198
1970s
198 births
- 1980s 139
1980s
139 births
- 1990s 126
1990s
126 births
- 2000s 305
2000s
305 births
- 2010s 543
2010s
543 births
- 2020s 376
2020s
376 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 3,151 births (26% of all-time use).
How Iona compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Iona's total volume
Iona vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Iona by state
Where Iona concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Illinois | | 487 | 4.0% |
| #2 | Ohio | | 487 | 4.0% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 441 | 3.6% |
| #4 | New York | | 395 | 3.2% |
| #5 | Texas | | 381 | 3.1% |
| #6 | Iowa | | 318 | 2.6% |
| #7 | Louisiana | | 315 | 2.6% |
| #8 | Missouri | | 308 | 2.5% |
Illinois share of Iona's total US births 4.0%
Even split
487 of 12,251 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 40 reporting states.
Iona appears in 40 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Iona? ▼
Iona has been given to 12,251 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #2778 as of the latest data. 404 babies were born in 1918, its single highest year.
When was Iona most popular? ▼
Iona was most popular in the 1920s decade with 3,151 total births. The single peak year was 1918.
Where is Iona most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Iona are Illinois (487 births), Ohio (487 births), Pennsylvania (441 births).
How long has the name Iona been used? ▼
Records for Iona go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Iona? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Ione, Ionia, Ionna, Ioni, and 1 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Iona's data
- Iona's decade-level peak was the 1920s (3,151 total births); usage has since declined to 376 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Illinois records the most Ionas (487 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Illinois names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Iona
Nearby Names Like Iona
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Iona
Ione Girl
#7971 10,004 births
Ionia Girl
287 births
Ionna Girl
272 births
Ioni Girl
11 births
Ionie Girl
#17533 5 births
Compare Iona side by side: Iona vs Ione Iona vs Ionia Iona vs Ionna
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Iona
Adella #2777
5,998 births · Peak 1920
Nella #2779
4,374 births · Peak 1927
Selma #2776
26,881 births · Peak 1918
Clarice #2780
25,474 births · Peak 1921
Jeanette #2775
163,440 births · Peak 1939
Arlie #2781
2,585 births · Peak 1921
Souline #2774
386 births · Peak 2021
Cloe #2782
3,922 births · Peak 2008
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Iona: #2778 Girls' Name - 12,251 Births, Peak 1918." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/iona. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Iona draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.