Girl's name
Imogen
Say it IM-uh-jen
Celtic origin girl, maiden
3 syllables
Where Imogen is loved, common and rare
Common across England and Wales, Scotland and two more places. Rare in Northern Ireland, Canada, Ireland and two more places.
1 in 365 girls born in Scotland in 2025
England and Wales 69thScotland 86thNorthern Ireland 259th
LovedCommonRare
Every place
In 10 of the 40 official lists, among them England and Wales (69th), Scotland (86th) and Northern Ireland (259th).
Show all 10 placesShow less
| Place | Rank | Girls | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Australia state | 54th 2025 | 29 | rank only |
| England and Wales | 69th 2025 | 648 | 1 in 391 |
| Scotland | 86th 2025 | 49 | 1 in 365 |
| Victoria state | 88th 2025 | 71 | rank only |
| Northern Ireland | 259th 2025 | 6 | 1 in 1,214 |
| British Columbia province | 457th 2023 | 7 | about 1 in 1,708 |
| Ireland | 483rd 2025 | 7 | 1 in 3,018 |
| Ontario province | 708th 2024 | 17 | about 1 in 3,204 |
| Switzerland | 1792nd 2025 | 2 | 1 in 16,997 |
| Austria | 1875th 2025 | 1 | 1 in 35,722 |
Rare, below the listed names: Quebec, New South Wales, Queensland, New Zealand, France, the Netherlands, Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Bonn, Leipzig, Rostock, Norway, Sweden, Spain, Catalonia, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia and Israel.
Not in a short top list, so no figure: Nova Scotia (top 21), Denmark (top 50), Finland (top 50), Iceland (top 10), Estonia (top 25), Moscow (top 61), Turkey (top 30), Argentina (top 20) and Croatia (top 50).
Sources: SA Attorney-General's Department, Births, Deaths and Marriages (data.sa.gov.au) (South Australia); Office for National Statistics (England and Wales); National Records of Scotland (Scotland); Registry of BDM Victoria (DataVic) (Victoria); NISRA (Northern Ireland); BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (British Columbia); Central Statistics Office (CSO) (Ireland); Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (Ontario); Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS) / Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS) (Switzerland); Statistik Austria (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1) (Austria). How we count, and every source
About the name
Shakespeare is behind this one. Imogen first appears in his play Cymbeline, and it is thought to be a misprint for Innogen, a name linked to Scottish Gaelic inghean, 'girl, maiden'. So a printing slip gave English a new name with a Celtic root.
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Three syllables, said IM-uh-jen, with the stress at the front. Imogene is a longer variant, and Innogen survives as the original form for those who like the story behind it.
It is a distinctly British and Australian favourite, sitting among the top 100 in England and Wales, Scotland and South Australia. Outside those places it is rare. Canadian records show it arriving only recently and peaking in 2020, so although the name is centuries old, its popularity is a recent development and it is now slipping back slightly in several regions.
Meaning, origin, pronunciation
- Pronounced
- IM-uh-jen, 3 syllables
- Meaning
girl, maiden
- Origin
- Celtic
- Other spellings
- Imogene
- Innogen
Etymology
First used by William Shakespeare in Cymbeline, a misprint for Innogen, from Scottish Gaelic inghean (“girl, maiden”).
From the Wiktionary entry, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened.
Over time
Over five years: rising in 2 of 8 regions, falling in 5.
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Rank in each place since 1996; higher on the chart is more popular.
Ten years of ranks
Her rank each year, English-speaking regions first. A blank means no published rank for her that year.
| Region | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 37 | 39 | 41 | 45 | 52 | 48 | 61 | 58 | 64 | 69 |
| Scotland | 56 | 80 | 64 | 78 | 74 | 67 | 95 | 78 | 97 | 86 |
| Northern Ireland | 108 | 154 | 143 | 119 | 134 | 143 | 121 | 178 | 119 | 259 |
| Ireland | 316 | 289 | 361 | 395 | 255 | 270 | 317 | 404 | 275 | 483 |
| Ontario | 850 | 490 | 761 | 883 | 621 | 714 | 896 | 846 | 708 | |
| British Columbia | 596 | 596 | 458 | 358 | 457 | |||||
| New South Wales | 48 | 62 | 70 | 72 | 79 | 80 | 74 | 90 | 86 | |
| Victoria | 48 | 60 | 70 | 71 | 74 | 74 | 90 | 67 | 74 | 88 |
| Queensland | 59 | 67 | 69 | 59 | 60 | 70 | 90 | 98 | ||
| South Australia | 41 | 41 | 46 | 42 | 43 | 76 | 82 | 43 | 54 | |
| New Zealand | 81 | 73 | 81 |
England and Wales, 1996 to 2025
| Year | Rank | Girls | per 100,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 69 | 648 | 255.8 |
| 2024 | 64 | 691 | 267.8 |
| 2023 | 58 | 762 | 297.0 |
| 2022 | 61 | 792 | 300.6 |
| 2021 | 48 | 998 | 364.2 |
| 2020 | 52 | 932 | 347.2 |
| 2019 | 45 | 1,075 | 383.9 |
| 2018 | 41 | 1,179 | 409.0 |
| 2017 | 39 | 1,284 | 429.3 |
| 2016 | 37 | 1,400 | 455.8 |
| 2015 | 34 | 1,478 | 480.0 |
| 2014 | 34 | 1,463 | 477.1 |
| 2013 | 34 | 1,538 | 498.6 |
| 2012 | 37 | 1,454 | 451.5 |
| 2011 | 32 | 1,773 | 551.8 |
| 2010 | 26 | 2,045 | 637.0 |
| 2009 | 32 | 1,741 | 555.6 |
| 2008 | 33 | 1,712 | 542.2 |
| 2007 | 33 | 1,568 | 512.2 |
| 2006 | 48 | 1,176 | 393.0 |
| 2005 | 65 | 868 | 301.1 |
| 2004 | 67 | 799 | 279.5 |
| 2003 | 61 | 891 | 319.7 |
| 2002 | 60 | 890 | 332.9 |
| 2001 | 56 | 916 | 341.8 |
| 2000 | 47 | 1,091 | 399.4 |
| 1999 | 46 | 1,197 | 424.9 |
| 1998 | 57 | 942 | 325.8 |
| 1997 | 94 | 548 | 186.9 |
| 1996 | 91 | 555 | 187.5 |
Sources: Office for National Statistics (1996-2025), OGL v3.
Ontario and British Columbia since 1925
Half of the babies named Imogen in Ontario and British Columbia since 1925 were born in or after 2016. First recorded in 2005. Her peak year there: 2020, at 42.3 per 100,000 girls.
Babies named Imogen per 100,000 girls born in Ontario and British Columbia, by five-year period. Her 2020 peak is averaged into its five-year period, so the line sits below it.
Sources: Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (1917-2024), OGL-Ontario; BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (1924-2023), OGL-BC.
Sister names for Imogen
1 in 338 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Imogen.
1 in 383 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Imogen.
1 in 455 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Imogen.
1 in 185 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Imogen.
1 in 596 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Imogen.
1 in 688 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Imogen.
1 in 542 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Imogen.
1 in 215 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Imogen.
1 in 203 in Scotland
Rose and fell with Imogen.
1 in 542 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Imogen.
Middle names for Imogen
1 in 71 in Scotland
Imogen Olivia
3-4 beats · initials IO
Changes the beat after Imogen: 3 syllables, then 4 syllables.
1 in 107 in Northern Ireland
Imogen Charlotte
3-2 beats · initials IC
Changes the beat after Imogen: 3 syllables, then 2 syllables.
1 in 86 in Ireland
Imogen Sophie
3-2 beats · initials IS
Changes the beat after Imogen: 3 syllables, then 2 syllables.
1 in 57 in Northern Ireland
Imogen Grace
3-1 beats · initials IG
Changes the beat after Imogen: 3 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 95 in Northern Ireland
Imogen Anna
3-2 beats · initials IA
Changes the beat after Imogen: 3 syllables, then 2 syllables.
1 in 154 in Ireland
Imogen Emma
3-2 beats · initials IE
Changes the beat after Imogen: 3 syllables, then 2 syllables.
1 in 197 in Ireland
Imogen Alice
3-2 beats · initials IA
Changes the beat after Imogen: 3 syllables, then 2 syllables.
1 in 88 in Scotland
Imogen Amelia
3-4 beats · initials IA
Changes the beat after Imogen: 3 syllables, then 4 syllables.
Same style as Imogen
Names whose popularity rose and fell with hers across regions and decades.
1 in 142 in England and Wales
98% alike: moves with Imogen across countries and decades.
1 in 127 in Scotland
95% alike: moves with Imogen across countries and decades.
1 in 71 in Scotland
94% alike: moves with Imogen across countries and decades.
1 in 542 in Scotland
94% alike: moves with Imogen across countries and decades.
1 in 138 in Scotland
94% alike: moves with Imogen across countries and decades.
1 in 455 in Northern Ireland
93% alike: moves with Imogen across countries and decades.
1 in 140 in Northern Ireland
93% alike: moves with Imogen across countries and decades.
1 in 143 in Scotland
93% alike: moves with Imogen across countries and decades.
Famous people named Imogen
Imogen Poots, Imogen Heap, Imogen Cunningham, Imogen Holst, Imogen Grant and Imogen Stubbs.
Show all 6Show less
-
British actress born 1989
-
British musician born 1977
-
American photographer (1883-1976)
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English composer, arranger, conductor, teacher and festival administrator (1907-1984)
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British rower born 1996
-
British actress born 1961
People: Wikidata (CC0), linked to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists.
Questions about Imogen
5 questions, on how popular she is, what it means, how to say it, whether she is rising and sister names.
Show all 5 questionsShow less
How popular is Imogen?
Her best rank is No. 54 in South Australia in 2025. She is in the published lists of 10 of our 40 regions.
What does Imogen mean?
Wiktionary glosses Imogen as "girl, maiden".
How do you pronounce Imogen?
IM-uh-jen, with 3 syllables.
Is Imogen getting more popular?
Over five years: rising in 2 of 8 regions, falling in 5.
Which sister names go with Imogen?
The deck's top five sisters for Imogen: Quinn, Lilah, Pippa, Arabella and Addison. Each is scored on style, era, popularity and origin, with sound clashes flagged.