Islo
A name of uncertain origin, possibly a variant of the name Isla.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Islo. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Islo today is around 3 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Islo births was 2023 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Islo. 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 Islo. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2023
5 babies that year
Average age
3
years old
2023 SSA rank
#12,959
Tracked since 2023
Popularity
Islo: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Islo 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 Islo during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Islo
The given name Islo has its origins in the ancient Germanic language, dating back to the early medieval period, around the 5th to 6th centuries AD. It is believed to have originated from the Proto-Germanic root word "is-la," which meant "ice" or "frozen water." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with people who lived in colder, northern regions where ice and snow were prevalent.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Islo can be found in the Codex Argenteus, a 6th-century manuscript containing a translation of the Bible into the Gothic language. In this text, Islo appears as the name of a minor character, indicating that it was already in use among the Gothic people during that time.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Islo was relatively uncommon, but it did appear sporadically in various historical records and chronicles. One notable bearer of the name was Islo of Chur, a Frankish nobleman who lived in the 9th century and served as the Bishop of Chur (present-day Switzerland) from 843 to 854 AD.
In the 11th century, an English monk and scholar named Islo of Oakham was known for his contributions to the field of astronomy and mathematics. He was born around 1020 AD and spent most of his life at the monastery in Oakham, Rutland.
During the Renaissance period, a Florentine artist named Islo di Piero (1438-1510) gained recognition for his frescoes and altarpieces, which can still be found in various churches throughout Tuscany, Italy.
Another prominent figure with the name Islo was Islo von Dornbach (1579-1638), a German military commander who fought in the Thirty Years' War. He achieved significant victories against the Swedish forces and was later appointed as the Imperial Field Marshal by Emperor Ferdinand II.
In the 18th century, Islo Mikkelsen (1720-1789) was a Norwegian sea captain and explorer who led several expeditions to the Arctic regions, including the Svalbard archipelago and the Barents Sea. His detailed accounts and maps contributed greatly to the understanding of these northern territories.
While the name Islo has been relatively uncommon throughout history, it has been carried by individuals from various backgrounds and cultures, reflecting its ancient Germanic origins and the diverse paths it has taken over the centuries.
People
Islo + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Islo 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
Islo: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Islo?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Islo 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Islo a common name?
We classify Islo as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Islo most popular?
The single biggest year for Islo was 2023, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Islo is about 3 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 Islo in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Islo a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Islo in the SSA data are male. 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 Islo still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Islo 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 Islo 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 share the name Islo?
Want to know how many people share the name Islo? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.