NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Iga

A Japanese name meaning "curve" or "bent".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Iga is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Iga popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1819, with 16 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2017, with 59 births.

This profile covers 555 England and Wales registrations across 20 recorded years from 2005 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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 27% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 612 living people in the UK are called Iga. 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 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Iga ranked #1819 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 16 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2017, when 59 girls were registered as Iga.
  • Iga ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #630 in 2023.
  • About 612 living people in the UK are estimated to have Iga as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#1819

2024

Births in 2024

16

Latest year

Peak year

2017

59 births

Estimated living

612

2026

Meaning

What does Iga mean?

The name Iga has its origins in the Japanese language and culture. It is a unisex name that can be given to both boys and girls. The name is believed to be derived from the Japanese word "iga," which means "life" or "vigor."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Iga can be found in the ancient Japanese text, the Kojiki, which dates back to the 8th century AD. The text mentions a place called Iga Province, which was located in what is now Mie Prefecture, Japan.

In Japanese history, there was a famous family of ninja warriors known as the Iga-ryu, which hailed from the Iga Province. The name Iga may have been associated with these skilled warriors, who were renowned for their stealth and combat abilities.

One of the earliest known individuals to bear the name Iga was Iga Nobumichi, a Japanese samurai who lived during the Sengoku period (15th-16th century). He was a retainer of the powerful Tokugawa clan and played a significant role in the unification of Japan under the Tokugawa shogunate.

Another notable figure with the name Iga was Iga Monogami, a Japanese poet who lived during the Kamakura period (12th-13th century). She is famous for her contributions to the acclaimed poetry anthology, the Shinkokinshū.

In the 20th century, the name Iga gained prominence through Iga Kengo, a Japanese diplomat and ambassador who served in various countries, including the United States and the Soviet Union. He played a crucial role in the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and the Soviet Union in the 1950s.

Iga Emi was a Japanese author and writer who lived from 1909 to 1976. She was known for her novels and short stories that explored themes of love, family, and the challenges faced by women in Japanese society.

Iga Sachiko was a Japanese actress and singer who was active in the mid-20th century. She appeared in numerous films and television shows and was also a popular recording artist, releasing several successful albums.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Iga over time

The chart below shows babies named Iga registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2005 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Iga, the clearest high point is 2017. The latest England and Wales figure is 16 births in 2024, compared with 59 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Iga
015304459200520142024

Decades

Iga by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Iga 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 #1255 141 5
2010s #1057 357 10
2000s #3029 57 5

Geography

Where Iga is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Iga. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Iga ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #630 in 2023.

Scotland
4

Across the UK

Iga in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#630 in 2023

12 years of NRS records, 60 total registered

Related

Names similar to Iga

FAQ

Iga: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Iga was ranked #1819 for girls in England and Wales, with 16 births registered.

When was Iga most popular?

The peak year on record was 2017, with 59 babies registered as Iga in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Iga?

A Japanese name meaning "curve" or "bent".

How many people are called Iga in the UK?

A total of 555 babies have been registered as Iga across the 20 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 60 more in Scotland.

Where is Iga most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Iga ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #630 in 2023. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

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.