Ibis
Derived from the Egyptian word for the wading bird ibis.
Name Census estimates that about 66 living Americans carry the first name Ibis. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 82.6% of registrations being female. The average person named Ibis today is around 31 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ibis births was 2005 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ibis. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Ibis. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
66
~ 1 in 5,193,248 Americans
Peak year
2005
10 babies that year
Average age
31
years old
2008 SSA rank
#11,588
Tracked since 1964
Gender
Gender distribution for Ibis
Ibis leans heavily female at 82.6% of total registrations, but 12 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Ibis as a male name
- Ranked #11,588 in 2008
- 6 male births in 2008
- Peak: 1977 (6 births)
Ibis as a female name
- Ranked #18,018 in 2010
- 5 female births in 2010
- Peak: 2005 (10 births)
Popularity
Ibis: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ibis from the 1960s through to the 2010s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 34 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ibis by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Ibis during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ibis' live
Origin
Meaning and history of Ibis
The name Ibis has its origins in ancient Egyptian culture, where it was associated with the sacred ibis bird, a wading bird revered as a symbol of wisdom, knowledge, and the god Thoth. The name is derived from the ancient Egyptian word "ib," meaning "heart" or "desire," reflecting the bird's significance as a representation of the human heart and soul.
In ancient Egyptian mythology, the ibis bird was closely linked to the god Thoth, the deity of wisdom, writing, and knowledge. Thoth was often depicted with the head of an ibis, and the bird was considered his sacred animal. This association lent the name Ibis a connotation of intelligence and learning.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Ibis can be traced back to ancient Egyptian texts and hieroglyphic inscriptions, where it was used to refer to individuals associated with religious or scholarly roles. One notable example is the ancient Egyptian sage and architect Imhotep, who lived during the 27th century BCE and was revered for his wisdom and architectural achievements.
Throughout history, the name Ibis has been borne by various notable figures. One example is Ibis of Cyzicus, a Greek historian and philosopher from the 6th century BCE, who wrote extensively on the history and culture of ancient Greece. Another is Ibis of Nysa, a Greek poet and grammarian from the 3rd century BCE, known for his works on the Homeric epics.
In the Middle Ages, the name Ibis was occasionally used in Europe, though it remained relatively rare. One notable bearer was Ibis de Cella, a 12th-century Benedictine monk and chronicler from England, who authored a historical work known as the "Chronicle of St. Albans."
During the Renaissance period, the name Ibis gained some popularity among scholars and intellectuals, drawn to its association with ancient Egyptian wisdom and learning. One notable figure was Ibis Nogarola, an Italian humanist and writer from the 15th century, renowned for her erudition and advocacy for women's education.
In more recent times, the name Ibis has remained uncommon but has been used sporadically across various cultures. One notable bearer was Ibis Gómez-Vega, a Cuban writer, journalist, and activist from the 20th century, known for her works on social justice and feminism.
People
Ibis + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ibis as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with I
Other first names starting with I with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ibis: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ibis?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 66 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ibis going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 5,193,248 US residents.
Is Ibis a common name?
We classify Ibis as "Very Rare". It ranks above 58.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 69 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ibis most popular?
The single biggest year for Ibis was 2005, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ibis is about 31 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ibis a female name?
Yes, 82.6% of people registered as Ibis in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.