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Home › Baby Names Directory › Ignatius

Ignatius

♂ Boy

Pronounced ihg-NAY-shuhs /ɪɡ.ˈneɪ.ʃəs/Medium

Meaning: FireMedium

In 30 seconds: Ignatius comes from an old Roman family name and carries the meaning 'fire'. It is a weighty, formal classic with a long ecclesiastical history.
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Origin MediumRoman family, Late Roman
MeaningFire
U.S. rank (2025)#1664 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births100 boys (0.01% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2025
Total births (all-time)≈ 4,075

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 202518852025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

The name traces to a Roman gens name and was understood to mean 'fire'. It has long worn a churchly air, surviving across centuries in Latin form while spawning regional offshoots. Among those reshapings is the Basque Iñaki, which keeps the same root in a very different sound.

The variations show how far the name has traveled: the Spanish and Catalan Ignasi, the Hungarian Ignác, and the clipped Ignat each soften or sharpen the original Latin shape. One modern bearer, Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo (born 1950), shows it still in living use.

Did you know? The meaning usually attached to Ignatius is 'fire', and that core idea is what gives the name most of its long-term appeal.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name - Ignatius — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

EgnatiusIñakiIgnatIgnasiIgnác

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

  • ★Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo (1950–present)
    Male public figure listed on Behind the Name.

If you like Ignatius…

Terence— another Roman family name
Perseus— shares the -us ending
Lazarus— shares the -us ending
Kassius— lands in the same popularity range
Demarcus— lands in the same popularity range

Explore names like Ignatius

By meaningFire

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Ignatius mean?

Ignatius is usually explained as meaning 'fire' and is most often linked with Roman family tradition.

How do you pronounce Ignatius?

It's commonly said ihg-NAY-shuhs /ɪɡ.ˈneɪ.ʃəs/.

Is Ignatius a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Ignatius is used as a boy name.

How popular is Ignatius?

In 2024, Ignatius ranked #1734 in the U.S. for boys, with 95 births recorded.

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