Girl · Greek · International
Iris
IrisSay it EYE-ris
- Meaning
- Rainbow; a halo; the iris of the eye; the iris flower Liddell-Scott-Jones, s.v. ἶρις
- Say it
- EYE-ris
- Other spellings
- Irys, Iriss
Iris
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Iris meaning
Iris is an international girl's name of Greek origin.
Rainbow; a halo; the iris of the eye; the iris flower
Iris is the Greek word for the rainbow. The Liddell-Scott-Jones lexicon also gives it for any bright ring of colour around another body, such as a lunar rainbow or the halo of a candle flame, for the coloured iris of the eye and for the iris flower, whose petals come in many colours. In Homer's Iliad, Iris is the messenger of the gods, travelling between heaven and earth along the rainbow. The novelist Iris Murdoch is a well-known bearer. Indian families may enjoy the parallel with Sanskrit indra-dhanus, "Indra's bow", which Monier-Williams gives as the rainbow.
Source: Liddell-Scott-Jones, Greek–English Lexicon (1940), via Logeion, s.v. ἶρις · entry ἶρις · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
References: Logeion, ἶρις (LSJ, Autenrieth) · Wikipedia, Iris Murdoch · Monier-Williams, indra-dhanus, p. 166
Famous namesakes
- Iris, messenger goddess in Homer
- Iris Murdoch, British novelist
Popularity abroad
- #61 United States, girls 2025 (up 11 from 72 in 2024)
US Social Security Administration - #57 England and Wales, girls 2025
Office for National Statistics
Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.
Spellings
Iris · Irys · Iriss