Fun Facts About the Name Ianthe
- 47 babies named Ianthe: U.S. records list 47 babies given the name Ianthe from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Ianthe Mean?
Ianthe is a feminine name from ancient Greek meaning "violet flower." It is formed from ἴον (ion), "violet," and ἄνθος (anthos), "flower." The literal sense is a violet, or a flower of the violet kind. Because violets are purple, the name is sometimes explained as "purple flower," but that is a color-based gloss rather than a separate derivation.
Ianthe Name History & Origins
The name is attested in ancient Greek as Ἰάνθη. Hesiod's Theogony names Ianthe among the Oceanids, the daughters of Oceanus and Tethys, and Greek legend gives the name to more than one minor figure. These appearances show the name in early Greek literary tradition; they do not point to a single historical bearer.
In Latin literature, Ianthe is the Cretan girl loved by Iphis in Ovid's Metamorphoses. Iphis had been raised as a boy, and in the story Isis transforms Iphis into a man so that Iphis and Ianthe can marry. The Latin form Ianthe passed into English with the same spelling, apart from the Greek accent.
English writers later took up Ianthe as a poetic name. Byron used it in "To Ianthe," a poem printed with Childe Harold's Pilgrimage. Such uses are literary associations, not evidence of widespread popularity.
How Popular is the Name Ianthe?
Ianthe has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1970. Its best rank was #3,877 in 1914.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | #13,894 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1984 | #11,010 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1972 | #7,601 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1970 | #5,550 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1956 | #6,306 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1941 | #4,674 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1921 | #5,459 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1914 | #3,877 | 5 | 0.0007% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with I
How the Name Ianthe Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Your tendency is to finish whatever you start. You like to use the pen or the needle (writing, fashion design etc). You are loving, compassionate, intuitive and humanitarian. Runs of luck, either good or bad, follow you. You are sympathetic, but at times might be touchy and oversensitive. You may have a gift for writing. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Ianthe's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Ianthe's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.