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Home › Baby Names Directory › Imogen

Imogen

♀ Girl

Pronounced IM-oh-jen /ˈɪm.ə.dʒɛn/High

Meaning: Maiden; possibly from Celtic innogen (maiden, girl) or from Latin imago (image, likeness); the name may also be a printer's misreading of Innogen in ShakespeareMedium

In 30 seconds: A name of disputed origin — possibly Celtic 'maiden,' possibly from Latin imago (image), or possibly a 16th-century printer's misreading of Innogen in Shakespeare's Cymbeline. The mystery adds to its literary charm.
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Origin MediumCeltic, Latin
MeaningMaiden; possibly from Celtic innogen (maiden, girl) or from Latin imago (image, likeness); the name may also be a printer's misreading of Innogen in Shakespeare
U.S. rank (2025)#1117 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births211 girls (0.01% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2024
Total births (all-time)≈ 3,177

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 202419152025

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

Imogen appears in Shakespeare's Cymbeline (c.1610) as the play's heroine. Its origin is disputed: it may derive from Celtic innogen (maiden, girl), from Latin imago (image), or it may be a printing error for the earlier name Innogen (found in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, 12th century).

Imogen was rare before the 20th century but has risen in the UK and U.S. from the 1990s onward. It ranked #1126 for girls in 2024.

Did you know? Imogen in Shakespeare's Cymbeline may actually be a printer's error for Innogen — an early editor, Edmond Malone, suggested this in 1790. If true, Imogen is one of the few popular English names that owes its existence to a typographical mistake.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name — Imogen — disputed etymologyU.S. Social Security Administration — popularity data

Variations

ImogeneEmogen

Nicknames

ImmyGenIggy

Famous Bearers

  • ★Imogen (Cymbeline) (fictional)
    Heroine of Shakespeare's Cymbeline (c.1610), a princess of ancient Britain whose steadfast virtue drives the play's plot.

If you like Imogen…

Ophelia— Shakespearean heroine name enjoying the same literary revival
Juliet— Shakespearean romantic name with the same classic literary feel
Viola— Shakespearean heroine from Twelfth Night, in the same revival
Cordelia— Shakespearean daughter name with the same Celtic/literary depth

Explore names like Imogen

By themelatinthree-syllableliterarycelticshakespearean

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Imogen mean?

Imogen's meaning is disputed — possibly 'maiden' from Celtic innogen, or from Latin imago (image). Some scholars believe it is a printer's error for Innogen in Shakespeare's Cymbeline.

How do you pronounce Imogen?

It's said IM-oh-jen — three syllables, stress on the first.

Is Imogen a boy or girl name?

Imogen is used as a girls' name.

How popular is Imogen?

Imogen ranked #1126 for U.S. girls in 2024.

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