35 Baby Boy Names That Start With I

Intelligent, inspiring, independent – so many I adjectives capture a strong sense of character and depth. It’s no wonder that so many traditionally male names that start with I do the same.
If you’re looking for an iconic I name for your little boy, look no further. We’ve got all the boy names you’re going to need on our list of 33 baby boy names that start with I.

Let’s jump in.

In this article: 📝

What are the most popular boys’ names that start with I?
Biblical names for boys that start with I
Boy names starting with I from around the world
What are some unique boy names that start with I?

What are the most popular boys’ names that start with I?

At the moment, the most popular boy’s name in the US starting with a letter I is the Hebrew name, Isaac (also spelled Izaak). It means “One who rejoices”.

In the Old Testament, Isaac was the son of Abraham and the grandfather of the twelve tribes of Israel. Of course, it’s also the name of one of the most famous scientists of modern times: Isaac Newton.

In addition to this history, your little boy would probably also get called Zak or Zac for short, and who can resist a Z nickname? Alternatively, he might become Ike to his friends – short, sweet, and an American classic.

Now that we mention it, Israel is another popular boys’ name starting with I, with the beautiful meaning “Prince of God” or “He who sees God”.

The Bible is the source of many powerful I names for boys. If this is a theme you’re interested in, here are a few more biblical options:

Biblical names for boys that start with I

Ilijah: An unusual I spelling of the name Elijah, which translates from Hebrew as “My God is Yahweh”.
Immanuel: Originally Hebrew, this beautiful name means “God is with us” and is the alternative spelling of the E name, Emmanuel.
Ira: Hebrew, meaning “full-grown”.
Isaiah: The prophet the book of Isaiah is named for. The name means “God is salvation”.
Ishmael: The first son of Abraham, founder of the Ishmaelites, and a prophet. This name means “God hears”.

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Boy names starting with I from around the world

If you’re not as keen on a religious meaning for your little peanut’s name, but still want something powerful, there’s a whole world of strong I names out there for you to choose from.

Take a look:

Ian, Iain: Celtic name meaning “God is gracious”. This is an old favorite in the US and the UK, and a surprisingly cool name in continental Europe right now.
Ivan: The Great? The Terrible? You decide. This famous and powerful name from Russia also means “God is gracious”.
Ibrahim: The Arabic form of the Hebrew name Abraham, which means “Father of many”.
Ichiro: What about this name from Japan if it’s for your first boy? It literally means “first son”.
Iden: Old English, meaning “from the marshland”.
Idris: An Arabic name for one of the first prophets mentioned in the Qu’ran. You might also know it as the name of one of the coolest actors alive, Idris Elba.
Ignatius: An ancient Latin name meaning “fiery” (like ‘ignite’).
Ihsan: An Arabic name meaning “kindness”.
Ilias: While this is technically a biblical name (a version of Elijah), it’s also a very popular Greek name.
Ilya, Ilyan: Russian version of the same name (Elijah), meaning “The Lord is my God”.
Imran: Arabic, meaning “strength of Allah”.
Indiana: Yes, the state, but also cinema’s most famous archaeologist. Indiana Jones wasn’t only the coolest adventurer, he also gave himself the coolest name ever (even if, spoiler alert, it was his dog’s name first).
Ingmar: An unusual and cool Scandi name meaning “son of Ing”, who was an old Norse god.
Inis, Innis, Iniss (also Ennis): Another beautiful and simple Irish boy’s name meaning “island”.
Ioan: An unusual variation of the name John, meaning “God is gracious”.
Iollan: Another Irish name meaning “one who worships a different god”.
Irvin: A Gaelic name meaning “green”. Some people might see this name as outdated. We think it’s time it made a comeback.
Ivanhoe: From the Slavic countries of Eastern Europe, meaning “God is gracious”.
Iverson: English and Scottish name originally from Old Norse mythology, meaning “Ivarr’s son”
Iver, Ivor, Ifor: An English and Welsh boy’s name meaning “archer” or “yew tree”.

What are some unique boy names that start with I?

If you want something even more out there, we get you. Your little human is going to be completely unique, right? They’re going to need a completely unique name.

Here’s our choice of the most unique and unusual boys’ names starting with I:

Ilaiyaraaja: The name of a well-known contemporary Indian composer. It may not have a long history, but we love its uniqueness.
Ianto: If you like Ian but want something more original, why not consider the Welsh version?
Ilarion: Is your little one going to be the class clown? You could set him on the right path with this totally unusual Latin name, meaning “cheerful”, from the same root as our word, ‘hilarious’.
Iarlugh: This Irish name, pronounced Er-la, is another one of our favorite unique I names for boys. It was the name of an ancient Celtic saint.
Iskender: This beautiful and unique version of the classic boy’s name Alexander, which means “defender of the people”, comes from the African country of Ethiopia.
Ivory: A powerful and unique name evoking all the strength and gentleness of the African elephant.
Ighneachan: If you are looking for a strong and unique name for a boy (and you don’t mind spelling it out for people) what about the Irish version of Ignatius?

Haven’t found ‘the one’ yet? Don’t give up! Maybe I isn’t the letter for you after all.

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Have a look through some of the other names we love: