For many future parents, floral names have a special charm, especially when they remain short, sweet and easy to pronounce. One of them has established itself in recent years in French maternity wards, worn by more than 2,229 little girls born in 2022 according to L’Officiel des Prénoms. Inspired both by nature and by an emblematic figure of beauty pageants, this first name also hides a luminous meaning: in Greek, it simply means rainbow.
This first name is Irismade famous by the former Miss France Iris Mittenaere. Crowned Miss France 2016 during the December 2015 election at the Zénith de Lille, then Miss Universe 2016, Iris Mittenaere gave her first name worldwide visibility. Behind its floral softness, Iris nevertheless hides a Greek origin linked to the idea of the rainbow, a detail which is attracting more and more young parents.
Why the first name Iris has become so trendy again
After her coronation, the smiling face of Iris Mittenaere invaded TV sets and social networks, in France then abroad. For many parents, choosing Iris means associating their child with a modern, brilliant, but also accessible figure, far from names that are too rare or complicated.
We often see this kind of curve: a publicized face, and the first name immediately climbs in birth declarations. Iris also benefits from another advantage for young parents connected to the whole world: it is pronounced almost the same in French, English or Spanish.
Meaning of the first name Iris: a real Greek “rainbow”
The National Center for Textual and Lexical Resources specifies that the Greek word iris, in the genitive case iridos, originally designates therainbow before also naming the flower and part of the eye. According to L’Officiel des Prénoms, this short and floral first name is inspired by the Greek word “iridos”, which means “rainbow”. This root gives Iris a very visual meaning, linked to light and colors.
For a baby, having the first name Iris means being associated both with an elegant flower and with a phenomenon of light that often makes children smile. Many future parents see it as a symbol of sweetness, of simple beauty, but also of hope after the storm.
Iris, heroine of Greek mythology and well-placed first name in 2024
In Greek mythology, the Larousse dictionary recalls that Iris personifies the rainbow and serves as a messenger of the gods, in particular for the goddess Hera. It connects heaven and earth to transmit divine decisions. Giving this first name to a child also means placing him or her in a very ancient history, full of stories and legends.
For 2024, L’Officiel des Prénoms places Iris in 13th place for female first namesbehind sure values like Alba, Louise or Jade. This rank shows that the first name is well established without being omnipresent. It can reassure parents who are looking for a current, bright choice, but not yet worn by all the little girls on the playground.