Ivar
Ivar is a Scandinavian masculine given name. Another variant of the name is Iver, which is more common in Norway. The Old Norse name has several possible etymologies. In North Germanic phonology, several of the elements common to Germanic names became homophonous. The first element Ívarr may contain yr "yew" and -arr , but it may have become partly conflated with Ingvar, and possibly Joar.
Meaning & Origin of Ivar
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Ivar is a Scandinavian masculine given name. Another variant of the name is Iver, which is more common in Norway. The Old Norse name has several possible etymologies. In North Germanic phonology, several of the elements common to Germanic names became homophonous. The first element Ívarr may contain yr "yew" and -arr , but it may have become partly conflated with Ingvar, and possibly Joar.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Ivar
Ivar first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1896, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 134 Ivars were born — ranking #1,401 that year. As of 2026, Ivar ranks #1,401 for baby boys with 134 births, rising sharply (+67% over the past five years). In total, more than 2K Ivars have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1890s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Ivar
Phonetically similar names — useful when Ivar is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ivar
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About the name Ivar
Ivar is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1896 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Ivar's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #1,038. Use the chart and map above to compare Ivar's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2026 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "I" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.