Imogen
Imogen has disputed origins. The most popular theory traces it to the Celtic "inghean," meaning maiden or daughter. A second theory suggests it is a misspelling of "Innogen" (the name used in some early editions of Shakespeare). The name was essentially invented by Shakespeare for "Cymbeline" (c.1610), where Imogen is the heroine — a faithful wife wrongly accused of infidelity who disguises herself as a boy and escapes to the Welsh mountains. Imogen was rare outside Britain until the late 20th century. It has been a top-100 name in the UK for decades but has been slower to cross to the US. Imogen Heap (born 1977), the British singer-songwriter whose "Hide and Seek" (2005) became an iconic electropop song, gave the name a contemporary charge. Imogen Cunningham (1883-1976) was one of the most important American photographers of the 20th century. I find Imogen has an elegant, slightly literary quality — the "Im" opening is unusual, and the "gen" ending is distinctive. The name sounds both British and contemporary. It is climbing in the US but still rare. Imogen is a female name of Celtic (or "last born") origin that means "Maiden (or possibly "likeness")". Elegant, literary, and slightly British. The name sounds graceful. Imogens tend to be artistic. US outside top 1000. Top 100 in UK. Well-known people named Imogen include Imogen (Shakespeare, Cymbeline), Imogen Heap (singer), Imogen Cunningham (photographer), Imogen (fictional, various). Common variations and related forms of Imogen include Imogene (variant), Innogen (older form), Immy (nickname), Imogine (variant).