| Iris | Genesis | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Iris flower / rainbow | Origin, beginning |
| Origin | greek | Greek |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | EYE-ris | JEN-uh-sis |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1964 |
| Peak year | 2025 (3,729) | 2016 (4,351) |
| In 2025 | 3,729 | 3,527 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Iris | Genesis |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 17,499 | 21,524 |
| 2010s | 15,352 | 40,524 |
| 2000s | 8,644 | 21,434 |
| 1990s | 5,542 | 8,685 |
| 1980s | 4,739 | 1,121 |
| 1970s | 4,685 | 278 |
| 1960s | 5,807 | 12 |
| 1950s | 8,871 | 0 |
| 1940s | 7,814 | 0 |
| 1930s | 8,135 | 0 |
| 1920s | 8,672 | 0 |
| 1910s | 4,360 | 0 |
| 1900s | 937 | 0 |
| 1890s | 374 | 0 |
| 1880s | 119 | 0 |
From Greek 'iris' meaning 'rainbow'; Iris was the Greek goddess of the rainbow. The iris flower was named for its rainbow range of colours, so the name functions both as a bloom word and a word for 'rainbow'.
Genesis is the Greek word for “origin” or “beginning.”
Iris is more popular than Genesis today: about 3,729 US babies were given the name Iris in 2025, compared with 3,527 named Genesis.
Iris means Iris flower / rainbow (greek origin), while Genesis means Origin, beginning (Greek origin).
In US records, Iris first appears in 1880 and Genesis in 1964, so Iris has the longer recorded history.