Iris
Iris is the Greek word for rainbow — and the name of the Greek goddess of the rainbow. Iris was the messenger of the gods, traveling between Mount Olympus and the mortal world along the rainbow. She was also the goddess of the sea and the sky. The flower we call iris was named after her — its many colors suggesting the rainbow. Iris has been in the US top 1000 most years since 1880, with a small peak in the 1930s and a much larger revival in the 2010s. It entered the top 200 in 2018 and continues to climb. Iris Murdoch (1919-1999), the Anglo-Irish novelist and philosopher, is the most acclaimed literary bearer — she wrote 26 novels and won the Booker Prize for "The Sea, the Sea" (1978). I find Iris has a brisk, vintage quality — the "I" opening is unusual, and the single syllable is direct. The "s" ending gives it a slight edge. The name is climbing strongly — it now reads as both vintage and contemporary. The rainbow-goddess etymology gives it mythological depth in just four letters. Iris is a female name of Greek origin that means "Rainbow". Brisk, vintage, and mythological. The name sounds bright. Irises tend to be sharp. US top 200 since 2018. Rising. Well-known people named Iris include Iris Murdoch (author), Iris (Greek goddess), Iris Apfel (fashion icon), Iris (flower). Common variations and related forms of Iris include Iris (used across English), Irene (related Greek name), Irida (Greek variant), Irys (modern).