Izen
A name of African origin meaning "good traveler".
Name Census estimates that about 194 living Americans carry the first name Izen. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Izen today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Izen births was 2022 (23 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Izen. 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
194
~ 1 in 1,766,775 Americans
Peak year
2022
23 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,270
Tracked since 2009
Popularity
Izen: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Izen from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 111 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Izen remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Izen 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 Izen during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Izens live
Origin
Meaning and history of Izen
The name Izen is believed to have its origins in the ancient Basque language, spoken in parts of northern Spain and southern France. The Basque language is one of the oldest surviving languages in Europe, and its roots can be traced back to the pre-Indo-European era.
Izen is derived from the Basque word "izen," which means "name" or "appellation." It is thought to have been used as a given name as early as the 8th century CE, during the height of the Basque cultural renaissance in the region known as Euskal Herria.
The name Izen does not appear to have any direct historical references in ancient texts or religious scriptures. However, its connection to the Basque language and culture is well documented in various historical records and literary works from the region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Izen can be found in a 10th-century Basque chronicle, where it is mentioned as the name of a local chieftain. Another notable bearer of the name was Izen Eneko, a prominent Basque philosopher who lived in the 12th century and wrote extensively on the principles of Basque ethics and metaphysics.
In the 15th century, Izen Urdaneta was a renowned Basque navigator who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan on his famous circumnavigation of the globe. He is credited with being one of the first Europeans to cross the Pacific Ocean.
During the 16th century, Izen Mikelenarentzat was a renowned Basque poet and playwright whose works were instrumental in preserving and promoting the Basque language and cultural traditions.
In more recent times, Izen Muniategi (1897-1971) was a celebrated Basque sculptor and artist, known for his intricate wood carvings and statues that depicted scenes from Basque folklore and mythology.
While the name Izen has its roots in the Basque culture, it has been adopted and used in various other cultures and languages over the centuries, albeit with slight variations in spelling and pronunciation.
People
Izen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Izen 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
Izen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Izen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 194 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Izen 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 1,766,775 US residents.
Is Izen a common name?
We classify Izen as "Very Rare". It ranks above 73.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 195 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Izen most popular?
The single biggest year for Izen was 2022, when 23 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Izen is about 8 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 Izen in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Izen a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Izen 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 Izen still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Izen 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 Izen 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 common is the name Izen?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.