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Iona as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Iona

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The baby name Iona is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced /aɪˈoʊnə/ (eye-OH-nuh).

Iona is Scottish Gaelic in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 3.0
Origin: Scottish Gaelic
Pronunciation: /aɪˈoʊnə/ (eye-OH-nuh)

What is the meaning of the name Iona ?

The baby name Iona is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced /aɪˈoʊnə/ (eye-OH-nuh).

Iona is Scottish Gaelic in Origin.

Iona is a Scottish given name taken from the Hebridean island of the same name. The island’s name stems from Old Irish Í “island,” recorded in Latin as Ioua; a medieval scribal slip produced the now-standard Iona. Because St Columba founded a monastery there in 563, the name carries resonances of a “holy island” and spiritual retreat, lending it a serene, contemplative aura.

As a personal name it emerged in Scotland and England in the late 19th century, flourishing with Celtic-revival tastes and seeing steady modern use across the UK, Ireland, and other English-speaking countries, mostly for girls. Variants and related forms include Ionie/Ionnie as pet names, Ionah as an archaic spelling, and Ione (Greek, “violet”), often associated but etymologically distinct. In other languages, Russian Iona and Hebrew/Slavic Yona/Jona correspond to Jonah and share sound rather than origin.

Iona has the following similar or variant Names

Iona – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2025 #1 874
LU 0 #66 1 2,830
JM 0 #93 1 3,714
AF Girls 0 #94 1 2,402
KZ 0 #94 1 1,452
GE Boys 0 #110 1 2,055
BN Girls 0 #114 1 5,459
CY Girls 0 #124 2 3,755
EE Boys 0 #125 1 2,087
Switzerland Girls 2024 #132 4 1,786
PA 0 #138 1 3,797
MT Girls 0 #150 4 3,773
Sweden Girls 2019 #171 3 1,585
AE 0 #185 3 10,220
AR 0 #193 1 2,915
DK 0 #206 1 5,198
JM Girls 0 #219 41 7,507
HU Girls 0 #225 1 3,308
BG Girls 0 #231 1 3,559
MO Boys 0 #234 1 5,842
NA Girls 0 #236 2 7,146
JP Girls 0 #246 6 6,592
GR Girls 0 #248 2 6,293
GR Boys 0 #273 1 6,912
Canada Girls 2024 #276 10 2,795
SG 0 #277 6 11,010
DK Girls 0 #326 4 7,429
KZ Girls 0 #332 1 5,862
QA Girls 0 #342 2 15,378
CZ Girls 0 #351 1 5,378
MY 0 #354 1 12,352
HK 0 #355 3 8,483
BR 0 #359 2 5,969
MU Girls 0 #360 3 8,539
PL Girls 0 #362 3 5,096
PT Boys 0 #381 1 7,951
France Girls 2021 #389 17 3,185
BO 0 #408 1 6,868
OM Girls 0 #421 4 15,987
PH Girls 0 #424 6 13,098
ZA 0 #433 15 14,421
CL 0 #434 1 6,867
PT Girls 0 #466 6 7,952
RU Girls 0 #484 15 11,913
CO 0 #509 2 7,768
PA Girls 0 #517 2 9,861
IQ Girls 0 #524 2 11,303
RU Boys 0 #524 3 12,621
UY Girls 0 #536 1 6,731
IR Girls 0 #544 2 8,334
PS Girls 0 #545 3 10,981
HK Boys 0 #557 1 12,905
KW Girls 0 #557 5 19,177
LY 0 #559 1 12,703
PS Boys 0 #561 1 10,655
CR Girls 0 #573 1 11,342
BH 0 #586 2 17,937
AE Girls 0 #593 5 20,968
AR Girls 0 #622 9 8,289
IL Boys 0 #624 2 10,983
SG Girls 0 #625 8 18,916
IL Girls 0 #641 5 11,648
HK Girls 0 #645 6 16,104
BO Girls 0 #651 1 9,488
IN Girls 0 #653 2 13,121
LB 0 #690 1 13,263
CL Boys 0 #700 1 13,390
Finland Girls 2026 #707 32 3,895
BR Boys 0 #785 1 12,213
KW Boys 0 #806 1 18,755
NG Girls 0 #826 1 15,093
United States Girls 2024 #856 61 8,487
TN 0 #863 3 13,765
United States Boys 2024 #888 5 7,044
CL Girls 0 #914 2 14,098
BR Girls 0 #915 27 12,708
PE Boys 0 #926 1 14,506
NL Girls 0 #929 27 5,933
Spain Girls 0 #934 50 5,561
PE Girls 0 #1,010 1 14,861
SA Girls 0 #1,011 4 25,931
MX Boys 0 #1,032 2 16,355
ZA Girls 0 #1,045 97 25,928
MY Girls 0 #1,065 8 24,821
CO Girls 0 #1,146 7 16,140
MY Boys 0 #1,182 1 25,439
MA 0 #1,198 2 20,986
MX Girls 0 #1,267 1 17,781
ZA Boys 0 #1,270 3 25,619
IT Girls 0 #1,375 72 9,415
IT Boys 0 #1,449 23 10,046

Iona is popular in 61 countries — most recent births per country:

Scotland, United Kingdom
France
Canada
Ireland
United States

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Iona

Iona is predominantly a girl's name.
Iona is a 3 syllable name, pronounced /aɪˈoʊnə/ (eye-OH-nuh).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Iòna, Ióna, Ionah and Ione.
Yes, very popular — Iona ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 8 countries.
Iona ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Iona's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #1 in 2015 to #1 in 2025 in Ireland.