What does Iona mean?
Iona is the name of a sacred Hebridean island, a cradle of Celtic Christianity.
What does Elspeth mean?
Elspeth is the Scottish form of Elizabeth, “God is my oath.”
Iona vs Elspeth
Which is more popular?
Iona is more popular than Elspeth today: about 65 US babies were given the name Iona in 2025, compared with 14 named Elspeth.
| Iona | Elspeth | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Island | God is my oath |
| Origin | Scottish | Scottish |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | eye-OH-nah | EL-speth |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1914 |
| Peak year | 1918 (404) | 1984 (39) |
| In 2025 | 65 | 14 |
| Trend | Rising | Rising |
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Iona
Elspeth
Source: US Social Security Administration.
Births by decade
| Decade | Iona | Elspeth |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 376 | 104 |
| 2010s | 543 | 164 |
| 2000s | 305 | 125 |
| 1990s | 126 | 105 |
| 1980s | 139 | 240 |
| 1970s | 198 | 36 |
| 1960s | 290 | 26 |
| 1950s | 610 | 33 |
| 1940s | 887 | 27 |
| 1930s | 1,747 | 18 |
| 1920s | 3,151 | 25 |
| 1910s | 2,362 | 16 |
| 1900s | 838 | 0 |
| 1890s | 455 | 0 |
| 1880s | 224 | 0 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Iona or Elspeth more popular?
Iona is more popular than Elspeth today: about 65 US babies were given the name Iona in 2025, compared with 14 named Elspeth.
What is the difference between Iona and Elspeth?
Iona means Island (Scottish origin), while Elspeth means God is my oath (Scottish origin).
Which name is older, Iona or Elspeth?
In US records, Iona first appears in 1880 and Elspeth in 1914, so Iona has the longer recorded history.