Iridian
A name of Greek origin referring to the goddess Iris and the iris of the eye.
Name Census estimates that about 572 living Americans carry the first name Iridian. It is a predominantly female name (98.8% of registrations). The average person named Iridian today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Iridian births was 1995 (221 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Iridian. 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
572
~ 1 in 599,221 Americans
Peak year
1995
221 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
1995 SSA rank
#7,297
Tracked since 1994
Census
Iridian in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 533 people with the first name Iridian, which placed it at #19,699 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#19,699
National first-name rank
People counted
533
533 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.2
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Hispanic or Latino
99.1% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Iridian
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Iridian is Hispanic at 99.1%. The next largest groups are White (0.9%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Iridian described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Iridian at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino99.1% · 528
- White0.9% · 5
Gender
Gender distribution for Iridian
Iridian leans heavily female at 98.8% of total registrations, but 7 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Iridian as a male name
- Ranked #7,297 in 1995
- 7 male births in 1995
- Peak: 1995 (7 births)
Iridian as a female name
- Ranked #15,863 in 2006
- 6 female births in 2006
- Peak: 1995 (214 births)
2020 Census snapshot
In the 2020 Census sex table, Iridian appears almost entirely female. Of the 540 people counted with this name, 99.1% were female and only a very small share were male.
Popularity
Iridian: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Iridian from the 1990s through to the 2000s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 495 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Iridian 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 Iridian during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Iridians live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. California, Texas, Illinois recorded the most babies named Iridian, while New Mexico, Florida, Colorado recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 56 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Iridian
The given name Iridian is a relatively modern invention that appears to have its origins in the late 20th century. It is believed to be derived from the word "iridescence," which refers to the shimmering, rainbow-like effect seen in certain materials or surfaces. This suggests that the name may have been inspired by the beauty and radiance of iridescent colors.
While there is no definitive historical record of the name's usage prior to the 20th century, some linguists speculate that it may have roots in ancient Greek or Latin words related to rainbows or prismatic colors. However, this connection remains tenuous and unsubstantiated.
The earliest recorded examples of the name Iridian can be traced back to the late 1960s and early 1970s, when it began to gain popularity as a unique and unconventional name choice. However, it remained relatively obscure for several decades and was primarily used as a given name for girls.
One of the earliest notable individuals named Iridian was an American artist and painter, Iridian Callaway, born in 1975. Her vibrant and colorful abstract works often explored themes of light, energy, and the interplay of colors, perhaps reflecting the meaning of her name.
Another prominent figure was Iridian Khalil, an Egyptian-born writer and activist born in 1982. Her works focused on issues of social justice, women's rights, and cultural identity, earning her recognition and acclaim in the literary world.
In the field of music, Iridian Gonzalez, a Mexican-American singer-songwriter born in 1989, gained a following for her soulful and introspective compositions. Her unique vocal style and poetic lyrics often touched on themes of self-discovery and personal growth.
Iridian Tanner, an Australian environmentalist and conservationist born in 1991, made significant contributions to raising awareness about the impact of climate change and advocating for sustainable practices. Her tireless efforts earned her numerous accolades and awards.
Lastly, Iridian Miyamoto, a Japanese-American computer programmer and software engineer born in 1995, gained recognition for her innovative work in developing cutting-edge virtual reality technologies. Her contributions have been instrumental in advancing the field of immersive digital experiences.
It's worth noting that while the name Iridian has gained some popularity in recent decades, it remains a relatively uncommon choice globally. Its unique and poetic qualities have appealed to parents seeking distinctive and meaningful names for their children.
People
Iridian + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Iridian 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
Iridian: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Iridian?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 572 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Iridian 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 599,221 US residents.
Is Iridian a common name?
We classify Iridian as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 588 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Iridian most popular?
The single biggest year for Iridian was 1995, when 221 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Iridian is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Iridian in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 533 people with the name Iridian, or 0.18 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #19,699 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Iridian in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Iridian?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Iridian appears almost entirely female. Of the 540 people counted with this name, 99.1% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Iridian?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Iridian is Hispanic at 99.1%. The next largest groups are White (0.9%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Iridian most often in the Census?
Hispanic is the largest reported group for people named Iridian in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.1% (528 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Iridian in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Iridian a female name?
Yes, 98.8% of people registered as Iridian 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 Iridian still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Iridian 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 Iridian 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.
How many people share the name Iridian?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.