Ibis
The ibis are a group of long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae that inhabit wetlands, forests and plains. "Ibis" derives from the Latin and Ancient Greek word for this group of birds. It also occurs in the scientific name of the western cattle egret mistakenly identified in 1757 as being the sacred ibis.
Meaning & Origin of Ibis
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
The ibis are a group of long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae that inhabit wetlands, forests and plains. "Ibis" derives from the Latin and Ancient Greek word for this group of birds. It also occurs in the scientific name of the western cattle egret mistakenly identified in 1757 as being the sacred ibis.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Ibis
As a girl name
The earliest SSA record of Ibis as a girl name dates back to 1964, when 7 babies received it. 2005 was its biggest year on record, with 10 newborns named Ibis — #10,128 in the national rankings. About 49% of every Ibis on record arrived during the 2000s, its defining decade. Ibis last appeared in the published SSA data in 2010, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 57 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1960s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
Ibis first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1977, with 6 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1977: 6 births, good for #5,123 nationwide. About 50% of every Ibis on record arrived during the 1970s, its defining decade. Ibis last appeared in the published SSA data in 2008, with 6 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 12 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1970s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Ibis
Phonetically similar names — useful when Ibis is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Ibus
- Abas
- Obus
- Ebus
- Abyss
- Abis
- Abbess
- Obis
- Eyepiece
- Iass
- Ebis
- Bibis
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ibis
What does the name Ibis mean?
How popular is Ibis in 2026?
When was Ibis most popular?
In which U.S. states is Ibis most popular?
Is Ibis a unisex name?
What names go well with Ibis?
About the name Ibis
Ibis is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1964 and has accumulated 57 births in the dataset. Ibis's peak popularity came in 2005 when it ranked #10,128. Use the chart and map above to compare Ibis's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2005 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "I" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.