Iona is a distinctive choice, ranked #451 in 2024. Your child is likely to be the only Iona in their class.
💎
UK Rank 2024
#451
About the Name Iona
Iona is holding steady in the rankings at #451. It reached its peak of #199 in 2000 and has maintained consistent levels since — the hallmark of a name with lasting rather than trend-driven appeal. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Iona is distinctive enough that your child will likely be the only one in both their class and their school — standing out on every register.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Iona
Unlikely. With around 92 UK babies named Iona per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Iona in her class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Iona has held a stable position around #451 for several years. It reached its recorded peak of #199 in 2000 and has maintained consistent levels since — suggesting lasting rather than trend-driven appeal.
Iona is a distinctive choice sitting outside the mainstream UK top names. Parents choosing less common names often find their children appreciate the individuality as they grow up, rarely needing to add an initial to distinguish themselves.
Notable people named Iona include: Iona University — Iona University () is a private Catholic university with a main campus in New Rochelle, New York, United States.; Iona College Brisbane — Iona College is an independent Roman Catholic single-sex day school for boys, located in the Brisbane suburb of Wynnum West, Queensland, Australia.; Iona Abbey — Iona Abbey is an abbey located on the island of Iona, off the larger Isle of Mull on the west coast of Scotland..
Iona does not appear in the US top 1,000 baby names, making it a distinctively British choice — your child is unlikely to encounter American Ionas in the wild.
92
UK babies named Iona (2024)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.1
In a school of 600
↓ 12 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Iona
Likely around 1 other Iona in the class
UK Popularity (1996–2024)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
No US data available for this name
✨ Similar names to Iona
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Iona University () is a private Catholic university with a main campus in New Rochelle, New York, United States. It was founded in 1940 by the Congregation of Christian Brothers and occupies a campus of 45 acres (0.18 km2) in New Rochelle and a campus of 28 acres (0.11 km2) in Bronxville, New York.
Iona College is an independent Roman Catholic single-sex day school for boys, located in the Brisbane suburb of Wynnum West, Queensland, Australia. Iona is operated by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, a religious order that was founded in 1816 by Saint Eugene de Mazenod.
Iona Abbey is an abbey located on the island of Iona, off the larger Isle of Mull on the west coast of Scotland. It is one of the oldest Christian religious centres in Western Europe, and was a focal point for the spread of Christianity throughout Scotland.
The Abbot of Iona was the head of Iona Abbey during the Middle Ages and the leader of the monastic community of Iona, as well as the overlord of scores of monasteries in both Scotland and Ireland, including Durrow, Kells and, until the Synod of Whitby, Lindisfarne. It was one of the most prestigious clerical positions in Dark Age Europe, and was visited by kings and bishops of the Picts, Franks and English.
Iona Victoria Campagnolo was a Canadian politician who served as the 27th Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia from 2001 to 2007; Campagnolo was the first woman to hold that office. Prior to becoming lieutenant governor, she was a Cabinet member in the Liberal government of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.
Iona is an island in the Inner Hebrides, off the Ross of Mull on the western coast of Scotland. It is mainly known for Iona Abbey, though there are other buildings on the island.