What does Iona mean?
Iona is the name of a sacred Hebridean island, a cradle of Celtic Christianity.
What does Catriona mean?
Catriona is the Scottish Gaelic form of Katherine, traditionally “pure.”
Iona vs Catriona
Which is more popular?
Iona is more popular than Catriona today: about 65 US babies were given the name Iona in 2025, compared with 0 named Catriona.
| Iona | Catriona | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Island | Pure |
| Origin | Scottish | Scottish |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | eye-OH-nah | kah-TREE-nah |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1965 |
| Peak year | 1918 (404) | 1998 (32) |
| In 2025 | 65 | 0 |
| Trend | Rising | Steady |
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Iona
Catriona
Source: US Social Security Administration.
Births by decade
| Decade | Iona | Catriona |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 376 | 49 |
| 2010s | 543 | 127 |
| 2000s | 305 | 207 |
| 1990s | 126 | 152 |
| 1980s | 139 | 97 |
| 1970s | 198 | 27 |
| 1960s | 290 | 24 |
| 1950s | 610 | 0 |
| 1940s | 887 | 0 |
| 1930s | 1,747 | 0 |
| 1920s | 3,151 | 0 |
| 1910s | 2,362 | 0 |
| 1900s | 838 | 0 |
| 1890s | 455 | 0 |
| 1880s | 224 | 0 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Iona or Catriona more popular?
Iona is more popular than Catriona today: about 65 US babies were given the name Iona in 2025, compared with 0 named Catriona.
What is the difference between Iona and Catriona?
Iona means Island (Scottish origin), while Catriona means Pure (Scottish origin).
Which name is older, Iona or Catriona?
In US records, Iona first appears in 1880 and Catriona in 1965, so Iona has the longer recorded history.