Ivor
Of Celtic origin, meaning archer or bow wielder.
Name Census estimates that about 439 living Americans carry the first name Ivor. It is a predominantly male name (94.9% of registrations). The average person named Ivor today is around 45 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ivor births was 1918 (29 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ivor. 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
439
~ 1 in 780,762 Americans
Peak year
1918
29 babies that year
Average age
45
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,902
Tracked since 1896
Gender
Gender distribution for Ivor
Ivor leans heavily male at 94.9% of total registrations, but 46 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Ivor as a male name
- Ranked #6,268 in 2024
- 14 male births in 2024
- Peak: 1918 (22 births)
Ivor as a female name
- Ranked #4,902 in 1929
- 5 female births in 1929
- Peak: 1921 (9 births)
Popularity
Ivor: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ivor from the 1890s through to the 2020s, spanning 14 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 164 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Ivor remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ivor 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 Ivor during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ivors live
Origin
Meaning and history of Ivor
The name Ivor is derived from the Welsh language and has its origins in the ancient Celtic culture. It is believed to have emerged around the 5th century AD, during the time when the Welsh language was developing and solidifying its roots.
Ivor is thought to be a variation of the Welsh name Yvori or Yvyr, which itself is derived from the Old Welsh word "ebyr" or "efyr," meaning "roe deer" or "young deer." This connection to nature and wildlife reflects the deep reverence and appreciation that the ancient Celtic people had for the natural world.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ivor can be found in the Welsh Triads, a collection of traditional narratives and stories that date back to the Middle Ages. The Triads mention an Ivor Bach, a legendary figure who was said to be a skilled archer and hunter.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Ivor. One of the most famous was Ivor Novello (1893-1951), a Welsh composer, playwright, and actor who achieved tremendous success in the early 20th century. His works, such as the musical "The Dancing Years," have left a lasting legacy in the world of theater and entertainment.
Another prominent Ivor was Ivor Bulmer-Thomas (1905-1993), a British civil servant and diplomat who served as the Governor of Bermuda from 1962 to 1967. His tenure was marked by his efforts to promote economic development and social progress in the British Overseas Territory.
In the realm of sports, Ivor Powell (1923-2018) was a Welsh rugby union player who represented Wales and the British Lions with distinction. He played as a fly-half and was part of the legendary Welsh team that won the Grand Slam in the 1950 Five Nations Championship.
Ivor Gurney (1890-1937) was a renowned English poet and composer who served in World War I. Despite suffering from mental illness later in life, his works, such as the collection "Severn and Somme," are celebrated for their evocative depictions of the natural world and the horrors of war.
Finally, Ivor Montagu (1904-1984) was a British filmmaker, writer, and producer who played a significant role in the development of the British documentary film movement. He was also an avid supporter of the Soviet Union and a member of the Communist Party of Great Britain.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have carried the name Ivor, each leaving their mark in various fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of human endeavor.
People
Ivor + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ivor 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
Ivor: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ivor?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 439 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ivor 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 780,762 US residents.
Is Ivor a common name?
We classify Ivor as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 900 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ivor most popular?
The single biggest year for Ivor was 1918, when 29 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ivor is about 45 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ivor a male name?
Yes, 94.9% of people registered as Ivor 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.
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.