Behind the Name: Surnames Starting with I

I'ANSONEnglish
Variant of JANSON.

IBÁÑEZSpanish
Means "son of IBÁN".

IBARRABasque, Spanish
From Basque place names derived from ibar meaning "meadow".

IBBOTEnglish
Variant of IBBOTT.

IBBOTTEnglish
Matronymic surname derived from the medieval name Ibota, a diminutive of ISABEL.

IBRAHIMOVIĆBosnian
Means "son of IBRAHIM".

IBSENDanish
Means "son of IB".

IDOWUWestern African, Yoruba
From the given name IDOWU.

IGLESIASSpanish
From Spanish iglesia meaning "church", from Latin ecclesia (of Greek origin).

IGNÁCZHungarian
Derived from the given name IGNÁC.

IGNATIEVRussian
Means "son of IGNATIY".

IGNATOVBulgarian, Russian
Means "son of IGNAT".

IHEJIRIKAWestern African, Igbo
Means "the one that I have is greater" in Igbo.

IKEDAJapanese
From Japanese 池 (ike) meaning "pool, pond" and 田 (ta) meaning "field".

IKINEnglish
Derived from a diminutive of the medieval given name IDA.

ILBERTEnglish
Derived from a Norman French form of the Germanic given name HILDIBERHT.

ILIĆSerbian, Croatian
Means "son of ILIJA".

ILIESCURomanian
Means "son of ILIE".

ILIEVBulgarian
Means "son of ILIYA".

ILLÉSHungarian
Derived from the given name ILLÉS.

INGERSLEBENGerman
From the name of the town of Ingersleben, Germany, which meant "Inge's village".

INGESSONSwedish
Means "son of INGE".

INGHAMEnglish
From the name of an English town, of Old English origin meaning "INGA's homestead".

INGÓLFSSONIcelandic
Means "son of INGÓLFR".

INGRAMEnglish
Derived from the Norman French given name ENGUERRAND.

IÑÍGUEZSpanish
Means "son of ÍÑIGO" in Spanish.

INNES (1)Scottish
From a place name derived from Gaelic inis meaning "island".

INNES (2)Scottish
From the given name AONGHUS.

INNOCENTIItalian
From a nickname meaning "innocent" in Italian.

INOUEJapanese
Means "above the well", from Japanese 井 (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit", an unwritten possessive marker の (no), and 上 (ue) meaning "above, top, upper".

IOANNIDISGreek
Means "son of IOANNIS" in Greek.

IONESCORomanian
Variant of IONESCU. French-Romanian playwright Eugène Ionesco (1909-1994), born Ionescu, is a famous bearer of this surname.

IONESCURomanian
Means "son of ION (1)" in Romanian.

IORDANOUGreek
From the name of the Jordan river, which is from Hebrew יָרַד (yarad) meaning "descend" or "flow down".

IRVINEnglish
Variant of IRVING or IRWIN.

IRVINEScottish, English
Variant of IRVING.

IRVINGScottish, English
Originally derived from a Scottish place name (in North Ayrshire) meaning "green water".

IRWINEnglish
Derived from the Old English given name EOFORWINE.

ISAACSONEnglish
Means "son of ISAAC".

ISAEVRussian
Means "son of ISAY".

ISAKSENNorwegian, Danish
Means "son of ISAK".

ISAKSSONSwedish
Means "son of ISAK".

ISHIKAWAJapanese
From Japanese 石 (ishi) meaning "stone" and 川 (kawa) meaning "river, stream".

ITOJapanese
Variant transcription of ITOU.

ITOUJapanese
From Japanese 伊 (i) meaning "this" and 藤 (tou) meaning "wisteria". The final character may indicate a connection to the Fujiwara clan.

ITURBURUABasque
Means "by the fountain" in Basque, from iturri "fountain, spring".

IVANKOVBulgarian
Patronymic derived from a diminutive of IVAN.

IVANOVBulgarian, Russian, Ukrainian, Macedonian
Means "son of IVAN".

IVANOVIĆCroatian, Serbian
Means "son of IVAN".

IVANOVSKIMacedonian
Means "son of IVAN".

IVERSEnglish, Irish
Patronymic derived from the given name IVOR.

IVOVBulgarian
Means "son of IVO (2)".

IYERTamil
Referred to a person belonging to the Iyer subcaste of the larger Brahmin caste. The Iyer subcaste is traditionally devoted to the God Vishnu.

	Usage
	Initial letter
	Source
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