ESC 

Name Rank Total 

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2011

First Year

2011

Last Year

2011

Peak Year

#13346

Peak Rank

7

Total Count

1

Years Active

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## Meaning & Origin of Ismene

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. 

In Greek mythology, Ismene was a Theban princess. She was the daughter and half-sister of Oedipus, king of Thebes, daughter and granddaughter of Jocasta, and sister of Antigone, Eteocles, and Polynices. She appears in several tragic plays of Sophocles, including Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone. She also appears at the end of Aeschylus' Seven Against Thebes.

Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ismene) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ismene)

### Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

* Greek Mythology

[![Wikipedia thumbnail for Ismene](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f2/Tydeus_Ismene_Louvre_E640.jpg/330px-Tydeus_Ismene_Louvre_E640.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ismene)

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## The Story of Ismene

Ismene first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 2011, with 7 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2011: 7 births, good for #13,346 nationwide. Ismene last appeared in the published SSA data in 2011, with 7 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 7 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 2010s to the 2020s.

## Popularity Over Time

## Popularity by State

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

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## Names that sound like Ismene

Phonetically similar names — useful when Ismene is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. 

* [Amine](/amine)
* [Ameen](/ameen)
* [Usman](/usman)
* [Isma](/isma)
* Isn
* [Imaan](/imaan)
* [Imon](/imon)
* Azine
* Isin
* Ismo
* Imen
* Lisman

Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. 

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## Frequently Asked Questions about Ismene

What does the name Ismene mean?

In Greek mythology, Ismene was a Theban princess. She was the daughter and half-sister of Oedipus, king of Thebes, daughter and granddaughter of Jocasta, and sister of Antigone, Eteocles, and Polynices. She appears in several tragic plays of Sophocles, including Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone. She also appears at the end of Aeschylus' Seven Against Thebes.

What is the origin of the name Ismene?

Ismene has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Greek Mythology.

How popular is Ismene in 2026?

In 2026, Ismene ranks #13,346 among girls' names in the U.S., with 7 babies given the name that year.

When was Ismene most popular?

Ismene reached its peak popularity in 2011, ranking #13,346 that year with 7 babies given the name.

Is Ismene a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Ismene is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Ismene?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Ismene include Nevina, Meladie, Arynne. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

## Similar Names

[👧NevinaPeak #13346](/nevina)[👧MeladiePeak #13346](/meladie)[👧ArynnePeak #13346](/arynne)[👧LehaPeak #13346](/leha)[👧AndriellePeak #13346](/andrielle)[👧SalotePeak #13346](/salote)[👧CanonPeak #13346](/canon)[👧JoshalynnPeak #13346](/joshalynn)

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## About the name Ismene 

Ismene is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2011 and has accumulated 7 births in the dataset. Ismene's peak popularity came in 2011 when it ranked #13,346\. Use the chart and map above to compare Ismene's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

### Continue exploring 

* [ Top names of 2011 → ](/year/2011)
* [ Names of the 2010s → ](/decade/2010s)
* [ Names starting with "I" → ](/letter/i)
* [ Browse all girl names → ](/names/girls)
* [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026)

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. 

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