NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Iba

A feminine Tagalog name meaning river or stream.

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2023. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Iba is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Iba popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5687, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2010, with 7 births.

This profile covers 41 England and Wales registrations across 10 recorded years from 2004 to 2023. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 43% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 41 living people in the UK are called Iba. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2024 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Iba ranked #5687 for girls in England and Wales in 2023, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2010, when 7 girls were registered as Iba.
  • About 41 living people in the UK are estimated to have Iba as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#5687

2023

Births in 2023

3

Latest year

Peak year

2010

7 births

Estimated living

41

2026

Meaning

What does Iba mean?

The name Iba is believed to have originated from the Yoruba language of West Africa. It is a unisex name that can be given to both boys and girls. The exact meaning of the name is unclear, but some sources suggest that it may derive from the Yoruba word "iba," which means "to be born" or "to give birth."

In Yoruba culture, names often carry deep symbolic significance and are chosen with great care. The name Iba may have been given to children as a way of expressing gratitude for their birth or as a wish for fertility and the continuation of the family lineage.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Iba can be found in the writings of Samuel Ajayi Crowther, a Yoruba scholar and Anglican missionary who lived in the 19th century. Crowther was born in 1809 and played a significant role in the translation of the Bible into the Yoruba language, as well as in the promotion of education and literacy in West Africa.

Another notable historical figure with the name Iba was Iba N'Diaye, a Senegalese political leader and activist who fought against French colonial rule in the early 20th century. N'Diaye was born in 1890 and was a prominent figure in the Pan-African movement, advocating for the rights and independence of African nations.

In more recent history, Iba Ndiaye was a Senegalese basketball player who played professionally in France and represented Senegal in international competitions. He was born in 1958 and is considered one of the pioneering figures in the development of basketball in Senegal.

Iba Geiden was an American artist and painter of Choctaw and African American descent, known for her vibrant and colorful depictions of Native American life and culture. She was born in 1923 and her works are held in various museums and collections across the United States.

Iba Kandia was a Malian politician and activist who played a significant role in the struggle for independence from French colonial rule. He was born in 1919 and served as the first Prime Minister of the Sudanese Republic (now Mali) from 1957 to 1958.

While the name Iba has its roots in West Africa, it has since been adopted and used in various cultures around the world, reflecting the rich diversity of human naming traditions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Iba over time

The chart below shows babies named Iba registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2004 to 2023. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Iba, the clearest high point is 2010. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2023, compared with 7 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Iba
02457200420132023

Decades

Iba by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Iba was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #5678 6 2
2010s #4344 29 6
2000s #5072 6 2

Related

Names similar to Iba

FAQ

Iba: questions and answers

How popular is the name Iba in the UK right now?

In 2023, Iba was ranked #5687 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Iba most popular?

The peak year on record was 2010, with 7 babies registered as Iba in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Iba?

A feminine Tagalog name meaning river or stream.

How many people are called Iba in the UK?

A total of 41 babies have been registered as Iba across the 10 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.