How popular is Iris?

[CoffeeChocolateWine]

This is currently the front runner for our DD due in a few weeks. I saw a comment on another thread that the name is really popular and overused...is this right? Part of the appeal of it was that I don’t know any little Irises and I didn’t think it was in the top 100 so this comment really surprised me. I already have a son and daughter with quite popular names so I really wanted something that wasn’t quite so popular this time. What do you think?

Other names we are considering are Marnie, Sylvie, Tess or Hazel. My DH suggested Delphi yesterday which I like but not sure if it’s a real name? I know it’s a place in Greece and I know Delphine is a name but not so keen on that. We like shortish names that don’t have obvious nicknames. Any other suggestions?

My DD has a friend her age called Iris but she is the only one I know. Her parents chose it because like you they don't like shortened names. I wasn't sure when I first heard it but now I like it :)

I have one. There aren’t any in her nursery and I’ve met one other round here. I think when I last looked on the name lists it was in the 60s or 70s out of 100 and was dropping.
I saw that comment too and was a bit surprised. It’s certsinly nowhere as near as popular as Lily.

I don't think it is super popular and would definitely not say it is over used but I do know a couple in my area that are under three.

I only know one.

names.darkgreener.com/#iris

^ This is the popularity change, in England and Wales, from 1996 to 2016. The rise in popularity is clear.

My daughter was born in 2005, when it was 300-and-something. It's now ranked 84th.

There aren't millions of them or anything, and my daughter is the only one in her large school, but it's having a spell right now!

It's one of my favourite names. I only know one though, and she is 1 year old.

It's definitely on the rise but I wouldn't say it was super popular.

I know of 2 Irises. One friend of DD's at nursery aged 3 and one friend of my DM aged 65! I like it and don't think it's overused here.

I know of two. One has been shortened, by her friends, to I-I. They are always shortened!

I know loads in our area.

Thanks, that’s interesting. Could I ask what area you’re in rebel? I don’t mind it being about 80-something...my other 2 DC have names in the top 25!

stepback, I know names will always get shortened and kids will always get nicknames and that’s fine. What I mean is that I don’t tend to go for longer names like Elizabeth with the intention of calling her Lizzy, or Harriet nm Hattie. I prefer short names that are full names...nicknames that occur naturally are fine.

We liked it as it was short, with no obvious short forms, but my daughter is currently Ris to her friends. I've even found myself using it a handful of times, which I get told off for, "as you're not one of my mates."

2 in my youngests school year in a 2 form per year school.

1 in the entire school (as for as I'm aware) at my eldests which is a 3 form entry.

I think it's becoming more popular but still not hugely popular.

84th is pretty low tbh

My DD is Iris I named her because I wanted something unusual. She is at primary school and as far as I'm aware there isn't any others in the school.

I love the name Iris in fact the only reason my 7 year old isn't iris is because my husband has an eye condition at the time it was iritis and he thought I was taking the mick when I kept pushing for it! I know none at all.. we ended up with Ivy of which I know there is 1 other at a school near us but she is a few years younger.

I've never met one but it's a beautiful name op

Just spotted this thread at the exact same time as a nurse came to wheel an elderly, frail Iris into clinic.
So probably well overdue due a revival.

I know two under five.

It seems popular on MN as it’s frequently suggested but I’ve never met any in RL at any of the the playgroups etc that I go up with DD

I really dislike it. It's a part of the eye! That's what I think when I hear it!

I really love it, one of my favourite names ever. I don't think I've ever met an Iris at all, nevermind a baby Iris. Also like Marnie from your list.

I often read the baby name threads on here and it amuses me how often people say a name is 'becoming really popular', when official statistics show otherwise. Perhaps there are clusters of a particular name in an area, which make people believe it's much more popular than it really is.
My DD has a very unusual name - about 60 born each year in the UK - but from what I've heard most of these 60 seem to be born in West London! So it's seen as becoming more popular there and the rest of the country has hardly heard of it.

As the pp said- round here it's very over used. However a friend of mine called hers iris as she had met none. So it varies by area and group. If you love it and your local area isn't awash with them, go for it.

I really like it, it’s DDs middle name and her grandmother’s first name. I’ve always slightly regretted not making it DDs first name, but she would probably have ended up being know as “little Iris” within the family. I don’t know anyone called Iris under ten.

I also love the name Marnie from your list.

It's a lovely name. I don't know any children with that name. I don't think it's actually that common.