Fun Facts About the Name Ivar
- More than 1 thousand babies named Ivar: U.S. records list 1,467 babies given the name Ivar from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Ivar Mean?
Ivar is a Scandinavian masculine name, from Old Norse Ívarr. It is a compound of two Germanic elements. The first is usually connected with Old Norse ýr, "yew tree," and by extension a bow made of yew. The second is -arr, from an older *harjaR meaning "warrior" or "army," the same element found in other Norse names such as Ragnarr. Taken literally, the name is often explained as "yew warrior" or "warrior of the yew bow," which is why it is sometimes rendered loosely as "archer."
The exact sense of the first element is not fully settled, and the "bow" reading is an extension of the tree's name rather than a separate root. The second element's meaning is more secure. Names that merely look similar are not necessarily related to Ívarr.
Ivar Name History & Origins
Ívarr is recorded in the medieval Scandinavian languages and appears in Old Danish as Iwar and Old Swedish as Ivar. The name was in use in the Viking Age and is carried by several figures in Norse tradition and early records.
The best known is Ívarr inn beinlausi, "Ivar the Boneless," remembered in Norse tradition as a son of Ragnar Lodbrok and linked to the campaigns of the Great Heathen Army in England in the ninth century. A leader called Ímar appears in Irish annals of roughly the same period, and scholars have often identified the two, though the identification is a historical argument, not a certainty. Norse tradition also names a legendary Danish king, Ívarr víðfaðmi, "Ivar the Far-Reaching," who is mentioned in early skaldic verse.
The name traveled with Norse settlement into Normandy and the Danelaw, and it remained common in Scandinavia. In modern times it is used in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, and it has related forms elsewhere in the region, such as Estonian Ivar and Finnish Iivari. The Norwegian linguist Ivar Aasen is a well-known later bearer. The historical figure Ivar the Boneless also appears as a character in modern historical fiction and television, but that is a later literary use, distinct from the name's medieval record.
How Popular is the Name Ivar?
Ivar 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 2025. Its best rank was #1,080 in 1911.
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 | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,384 | 133 | 0.0078% |
| 2024 | #1,522 | 116 | 0.0068% |
| 2023 | #1,440 | 126 | 0.0074% |
| 2022 | #1,499 | 121 | 0.0069% |
| 2021 | #1,741 | 93 | 0.0053% |
| 2020 | #1,879 | 79 | 0.0046% |
| 2019 | #1,779 | 87 | 0.0049% |
| 2018 | #2,107 | 67 | 0.0037% |
| 2017 | #2,611 | 48 | 0.0026% |
| 2016 | #6,155 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2015 | #7,707 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2014 | #7,234 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2013 | #7,225 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2011 | #11,388 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2010 | #13,012 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #9,310 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2008 | #7,915 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2006 | #9,043 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2003 | #6,919 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2002 | #11,359 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2000 | #8,551 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1997 | #8,584 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1989 | #8,402 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1986 | #7,155 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1979 | #5,647 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1978 | #6,193 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1977 | #6,245 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1974 | #4,353 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1971 | #4,143 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1970 | #4,461 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1969 | #3,427 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1966 | #4,204 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1965 | #3,385 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1962 | #2,747 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1961 | #2,788 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1960 | #4,299 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1958 | #4,201 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1956 | #4,189 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1955 | #3,080 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1954 | #3,052 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1953 | #3,025 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1951 | #3,951 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1950 | #3,484 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1948 | #3,474 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1947 | #3,530 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1944 | #3,653 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1943 | #2,644 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1942 | #3,072 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1939 | #2,968 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1938 | #3,014 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1937 | #3,778 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1936 | #3,340 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1935 | #2,815 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1934 | #2,329 | 11 | 0.0011% |
| 1933 | #2,860 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1932 | #3,221 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1931 | #2,046 | 14 | 0.0013% |
| 1930 | #2,521 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1929 | #2,141 | 14 | 0.0013% |
| 1928 | #2,452 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1927 | #2,801 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1926 | #3,017 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1925 | #2,366 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1924 | #2,920 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1923 | #2,694 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1922 | #4,062 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1921 | #2,429 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1920 | #2,091 | 16 | 0.0015% |
| 1919 | #2,102 | 15 | 0.0015% |
| 1918 | #1,949 | 17 | 0.0017% |
| 1917 | #2,350 | 12 | 0.0013% |
| 1916 | #3,050 | 8 | 0.0009% |
| 1915 | #1,923 | 15 | 0.0018% |
| 1914 | #2,185 | 10 | 0.0015% |
| 1913 | #1,628 | 12 | 0.0023% |
| 1912 | #1,817 | 9 | 0.0021% |
| 1911 | #1,080 | 11 | 0.0049% |
| 1908 | #1,499 | 5 | 0.0032% |
| 1896 | #1,177 | 5 | 0.0042% |
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.
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How the Name Ivar 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.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Ivar's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Ivar's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.