Iphis as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Iphis

What is the meaning of the name Iphis ?

The baby name Iphis is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈɪfɪs/ (IF-iss); Classical Greek approx /ˈi.pʰis/ (EE-fis).

Iphis is Greek in Origin.

Iphis derives from Ancient Greek Ἶφις (Îphis), built on the root iph- “strength, might,” yielding the meaning “strong, stalwart.” In myth the name is borne by both sexes: several minor male figures appear in Homer, and a celebrated Cretan heroine in Ovid’s Metamorphoses, raised as a boy and transformed by the goddess Isis into a man to wed Ianthe - an enduring tale of gender and metamorphosis.

Use of Iphis as a given name has remained rare outside classical circles, yet it survived in learned Latin and Greek and resurfaced in Renaissance and Enlightenment retellings. The story’s cross-gender resonance has prompted occasional modern revival as a gender-neutral choice. Variants and forms include Ancient Greek Ἶφις, Latin Iphis, the transliteration Ifis (common in Romance languages), and the French literary Iphise; related names from the same root include Iphigenia, Iphicles, and Iphitus.

⚙ Iphis does not appear in any of the birth registries or name datasets we track. This usually means it's either extremely rare, a regional/traditional name not captured by official statistics, or a brand-new coinage. Use it knowing your child will almost certainly be the only one in the room.