Icelyn
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly meaning "ice maiden".
Name Census estimates that about 247 living Americans carry the first name Icelyn. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Icelyn today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Icelyn births was 2024 (54 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Icelyn. 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.
People living today
247
~ 1 in 1,387,669 Americans
Peak year
2024
54 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,023
Tracked since 2007
Popularity
Icelyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Icelyn from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 164 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Icelyn 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 Icelyn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Icelyns live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Florida, Georgia, Texas recorded the most babies named Icelyn, while Texas, Georgia, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 7 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Icelyn
The name Icelyn is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "yce," meaning "ice," and the suffix "-lyn," which was a common diminutive ending for names during the Middle Ages. This combination suggests that the name may have originally been a descriptive term, perhaps referring to someone with a cool or icy demeanor.
While the name Icelyn is not found in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it has a long history of use in England, particularly in the northern regions. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. Here, the name is spelled "Icelyng," referring to a landowner in Yorkshire.
In the 13th century, there is a record of an Icelyn de Brampton, a notable landowner and knight from Northumberland. Later, in the 15th century, an Icelyn Thwaites is mentioned as a merchant and alderman in the city of York.
During the Tudor period, the name gained some popularity among the English nobility. One notable bearer was Icelyn Neville, born in 1518, who was a courtier and favorite of King Henry VIII. She was known for her intelligence and wit, and served as a lady-in-waiting to several of Henry's wives.
In the 17th century, Icelyn Pym, born in 1623, was a prominent Puritan and member of the English Parliament during the English Civil War. She was an outspoken advocate for religious freedom and played a significant role in the events leading up to the execution of King Charles I in 1649.
Another notable figure was Icelyn Mortimer, born in 1715, who was a pioneering botanist and one of the first women to be elected to the Royal Society in London. Her extensive research and cataloging of plant species contributed greatly to the field of botany.
Despite its long history, the name Icelyn has remained relatively uncommon throughout the centuries, perhaps due to its somewhat unusual spelling and pronunciation. However, its unique and intriguing origins have ensured that it has maintained a place in the English name tradition, often chosen by parents seeking a name with a sense of distinction and character.
People
Icelyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Icelyn 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
Icelyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Icelyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 247 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Icelyn 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 1,387,669 US residents.
Is Icelyn a common name?
We classify Icelyn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 249 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Icelyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Icelyn was 2024, when 54 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Icelyn is about 6 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Icelyn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Icelyn a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Icelyn 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.
Is Icelyn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Icelyn in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Icelyn can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Icelyn?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.