Girl · Modern · International
Imogen
ImogenSay it IM-uh-jen
- Meaning today
- Maiden, innocent
- Original meaning
- "probably a misprint of Innogen; origin uncertain, perhaps Gaelic 'girl, daughter'" Ó Dónaill, s.v. iníon
- Say it
- IM-uh-jen
- Other spellings
- Innogen, Imogene
Imogen
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Imogen meaning
Imogen is an international girl's name.
Meaning today
Maiden, innocent
Original uncertain (Shakespearean; perhaps Gaelic) meaning
"probably a misprint of Innogen; origin uncertain, perhaps Gaelic 'girl, daughter'"
Source: Ó Dónaill, Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla (1977), via teanglann.ie, s.v. iníon · entry iníon · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
Imogen is the heroine of Shakespeare's late play Cymbeline, a faithful princess who disguises herself as a boy. Most editors believe Shakespeare wrote Innogen and that Imogen is a printing error in the First Folio of 1623; he probably found Innogen in Holinshed's Chronicles, where she is the wife of Brutus, the legendary founder of Britain. Where Innogen comes from is uncertain. It is often linked to the Irish word ingen, modern iníon, which Ó Dónaill's dictionary gives as "daughter", and this is the root of the popular meaning "maiden"; "innocent", also seen, is only a resemblance in sound. It is said IM-uh-jen.
References: Ó Dónaill, Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, iníon (teanglann.ie) · Wikipedia, Imogen (Cymbeline) · Wikipedia, Innogen
Famous namesakes
- Imogen, heroine of Shakespeare's Cymbeline
Popularity abroad
- #69 England and Wales, girls 2025
Office for National Statistics
Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.
Spellings
Imogen · Innogen · Imogene