ESC Name Rank Total Searching... No names found Try searching for: Emma, Liam, Olivia, Noah... 👧As Girl Name 1998 First Year 2026 Last Year 2024 Peak Year #2573 Peak Rank 760 Total Count 28 Years Active 👦As Boy Name 2006 First Year 2026 Last Year 2026 Peak Year #4352 Peak Rank 139 Total Count 10 Years Active Advertisement 🌍 ## Meaning & Origin of Island What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been part of a continent. Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island) 📜Etymology The word island derives from Middle English iland , from Old English igland , itself from ig or ieg , similarly meaning 'island' when used independently, and with the suffix -land carrying its contemporary meaning. Old English ieg is actually a cognate of Swedish ö and German Aue , and more distantly related to Latin aqua (water). The spelling of the word with ⟨ s ⟩ was modified in the 15th century because of a false etymology caused by an association with the Old French loanword isle , which itself comes from the Latin word insula . [![Wikipedia thumbnail for Island](https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/Hawaje-NoRedLine.jpg/330px-Hawaje-NoRedLine.jpg?utm_source=en.wikipedia.org&utm_campaign=api&utm_content=thumbnail)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island) 📖 ## The Story of Island ### As a girl name The earliest SSA record of Island as a girl name dates back to 1998, when 5 babies received it. 2024 was its biggest year on record, with 68 newborns named Island — #2,573 in the national rankings. About 55% of every Island on record arrived during the 2020s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Island ranks #2,657 for girls with 65 births, rising sharply (+36% over the past five years). All told, over 760 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1990s to the 2020s. ### As a boy name Island first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 2006, with 6 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2026: 24 births, good for #4,352 nationwide. About 86% of every Island on record arrived during the 2020s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Island ranks #4,352 for boys with 24 births, rising sharply (+153% over the past five years). All told, over 139 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 2000s to the 2020s. ## Popularity Over Time Girls Boys ## Popularity by State 👧 Girls 👦 Boys ME WA MT ND MN WI MI NY VT NH MA OR ID SD IA IL IN OH PA NJ CT RI CA NV WY NE MO KY WV VA MD DE DC UT CO KS AR TN NC SC AK AZ NM OK LA MS AL GA HI TX FL Top 10 11-50 51-100 101-500 500+ No data 🎶 ## Names that sound like Island Phonetically similar names — useful when Island is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. * [Eiland](/eiland) * Islande * [Eland](/eland) * [Aland](/aland) * [Oland](/oland) * Elland * Uhland * [Ireland](/ireland) * Islands * [Iceland](/iceland) * [Highland](/highland) * Islander Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. ❓ ## Frequently Asked Questions about Island What does the name Island mean? An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been part of a continent. How popular is Island in 2026? In 2026, Island ranks #2,657 among girls' names in the U.S., with 65 babies given the name that year. When was Island most popular? Island reached its peak popularity in 2024, ranking #2,573 that year with 68 babies given the name. In which U.S. states is Island most popular? Island has historically been most popular in Louisiana, Ohio, Georgia. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Island. Is Island a unisex name? Yes — Island is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 85% of Islands assigned female and 15% assigned male historically. What names go well with Island? Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Island include Shaylene, Zissy, Olia. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data. ## Similar Names ### 👧 Similar Girl Names [👧ShaylenePeak #2573](/shaylene)[👧ZissyPeak #2573](/zissy)[👧OliaPeak #2572](/olia)[👧RuthellenPeak #2572](/ruthellen) ### 👦 Similar Boy Names [👦MouradPeak #4354](/mourad)[👦HutchinsonPeak #4350](/hutchinson)[👦RamessesPeak #4354](/ramesses)[👦JorielPeak #4354](/joriel) Advertisement ## About the name Island Island is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1998 and has accumulated 760 births in the dataset. Island's peak popularity came in 2024 when it ranked #2,573\. Use the chart and map above to compare Island's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices. ### Continue exploring * [ Top names of 2024 → ](/year/2024) * [ Names of the 2020s → ](/decade/2020s) * [ Names starting with "I" → ](/letter/i) * [ Browse all girl names → ](/names/girls) * [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026) * [ Browse unisex names → ](/names/unisex) Data sources * Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). 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 ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms). * Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/). * Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/). * Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). 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. Advertisement