Ivor is a boys' name of Old Norse origin, meaning “yew-bow warrior”, from Old Norse Ivarr, long used in Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Ivor Novello, the Welsh composer and actor, is honoured by the Ivor Novello songwriting awards.

Ivor

Gender: Boy
Say it: EYE-vor
Origin: Old Norse
UK rank, 2025: #552 for boys
US rank, 2025: #7,675 for boys

Ivor is a boys' name of Old Norse origin, meaning “yew-bow warrior”. In 2025 it ranked 552nd for boys in the UK (77 babies) and 7,675th for boys in the US (10 babies).

What does Ivor mean?

Old Norse: from Old Norse Ivarr, long used in Wales, Scotland and Ireland

“yew-bow warrior”

Ivor Novello, the Welsh composer and actor, is honoured by the Ivor Novello songwriting awards.

Is Ivor a girl's or a boy's name?

Ivor is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 77 boys in the UK and 10 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.

How popular is Ivor in the UK?

Rank in 2025: 552nd among boys
Babies in 2025: 77 about 1 in 3,900 boys
Five-year trend: Steady up 15% in five years
Same name in a class: under 1% chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 77 boys in the UK were named Ivor, making it the 552nd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 559th. Its busiest year was 2024, with 79 boys.

Half of all the boys named Ivor in the UK since 1996 were born between 2013 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 88 boys in the UK were given Ivor or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #473, up from #552 for this spelling alone.

Ivor 77
Iver 11

Among boys in 2025, it was 563rd in England and Wales and 400th in Scotland.

In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#79), 1914 (#73), 1924 (#77) and 1934 (#87).

1996Busiest: 79 in 20242025

Ivor in the UK, year by year

Year	Boys	Rank
2025	77	#552
2024	79	#545
2023	65	#623
2022	71	#589
2021	58	#690
2020	75	#559
2019	53	#706
2018	64	#627
2017	53	#727
2016	41	#855
2015	37	#906
2014	36	#905
2013	32	#979
2012	24	#1,199
2011	23	#1,203
2010	31	#994
2009	16	#1,507
2008	15	#1,547
2007	13	#1,667
2006	14	#1,487
2005	17	#1,267
2004	16	#1,239
2003	11	#1,498
2002	7	#1,900
2001	8	#1,690
2000	12	#1,235
1999	6	#1,941
1998	6	#1,932
1997	4	#2,438
1996	1	#3,776

How popular is Ivor in the US?

Rank in 2025: 7,675th among boys
Babies in 2025: 10 about 1 in 170,000 boys
Five-year trend: Too rare to call too few babies to tell
Same name in a class: under 1% chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 10 boys in the US were named Ivor, making it the 7,675th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 8,062nd. Its busiest year was 1918, with 22 boys. It first appears in the records in 1896.

Half of all the boys named Ivor in the US since 1880 were born between 1926 and 1984, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 76 boys in the US were given Ivor or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #1,740, up from #7,675 for this spelling alone.

Iver 66
Ivor 10

1896Busiest: 22 in 19182025

Ivor in the US, year by year

Year	Boys	Rank
2025	10	#7,675
2024	14	#6,194
2023	9	#8,250
2022	14	#6,141
2021	10	#7,582
2020	9	#8,062
2019	0	–
2018	10	#7,613
2017	15	#5,784
2016	6	#10,739
2015	7	#9,562
2014	8	#8,775
2013	7	#9,650
2012	0	–
2011	0	–
2010	7	#9,686
2009	7	#9,859
2008	5	#12,546
2007	6	#10,915
2006	0	–
2005	5	#11,464
2004	6	#9,941
2003	5	#10,886
2002	11	#6,081
2001	6	#9,236
2000	0	–
1999	0	–
1998	0	–
1997	6	#8,104
1996	5	#9,008
1995	0	–
1994	0	–
1993	0	–
1992	0	–
1991	0	–
1990	7	#6,408
1989	5	#7,898
1988	0	–
1987	0	–
1986	13	#3,437
1985	0	–
1984	5	#6,311
1983	0	–
1982	0	–
1981	5	#6,260
1980	6	#5,523
1979	5	#6,054
1978	0	–
1977	0	–
1976	0	–
1975	6	#4,795
1974	7	#4,188
1973	10	#3,221
1972	6	#4,438
1971	5	#4,905
1970	5	#4,722
1969	9	#3,061
1968	9	#2,906
1967	0	–
1966	7	#3,247
1965	0	–
1964	9	#2,853
1963	6	#3,645
1962	14	#2,185
1961	0	–
1960	8	#3,075
1959	9	#2,820
1958	6	#3,557
1957	6	#3,550
1956	7	#3,214
1955	0	–
1954	10	#2,591
1953	9	#2,708
1952	9	#2,678
1951	5	#3,712
1950	13	#2,110
1949	9	#2,605
1948	9	#2,607
1947	5	#3,731
1946	7	#2,918
1945	10	#2,241
1944	9	#2,466
1943	12	#2,181
1942	13	#2,041
1941	9	#2,491
1940	10	#2,322
1939	13	#1,958
1938	6	#3,174
1937	0	–
1936	12	#2,062
1935	10	#2,396
1934	10	#2,393
1933	14	#1,905
1932	13	#2,101
1931	13	#2,101
1930	9	#2,779
1929	13	#2,198
1928	11	#2,522
1927	12	#2,408
1926	14	#2,186
1925	10	#2,753
1924	19	#1,839
1923	14	#2,223
1922	13	#2,346
1921	18	#1,903
1920	11	#2,601
1919	21	#1,623
1918	22	#1,595
1917	17	#1,814
1916	16	#1,848
1915	12	#2,183
1914	8	#2,456
1913	5	#2,820
1912	7	#2,044
1911	0	–
1910	6	#1,420
1909	0	–
1908	0	–
1907	0	–
1906	0	–
1905	0	–
1904	0	–
1903	0	–
1902	7	#932
1901	0	–
1900	0	–
1899	0	–
1898	0	–
1897	0	–
1896	5	#1,100

Names like Ivor

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Arthur, Ralph, Wilfred, Frederick, Alfred, Henry, Albert, Stanley, Walter, Ivar, Chester, Francis

Other spellings of Ivor

Iver

Names related to Ivor

Eivor

More Old Norse names

Freya, Ronnie, Eric, Astrid, Colby, Rafe, Odin, Ralphie, Erik, Freyja, Erick, Bo, Ronald, Bjorn, Erica, Raife

Every Old Norse name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Ivor: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/ivor, updated 20 October 2026.