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Ismenia
How to Pronounce Ismenia
Pronounced iss-MEE-nee-uh /ɪsˈmi.ni.ə/Medium
Meaning: Ismenia is an elaborated form of the Greek Ismene, the name of a daughter of Oedipus in Theban legend, linked to the river Ismenus at Thebes. It also survived as a rare medieval saint's and given name in parts of Europe. The exact literal sense is uncertain, tied to the river-name rather than a plain word.Low
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
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
Ismenia is an elaborated form of the Greek Ismene, a daughter of Oedipus in Theban myth and sister of Antigone, whose name is tied to the Theban river Ismenus. The name also appears rarely as a medieval European saint's and given name. Its literal meaning is uncertain, bound to the river-name rather than a clear word. In the United States Ismenia is very rare, appearing in records around the mid-nineteen-nineties in a brief window. It was never common, given to only a couple dozen girls a year.
A girl named Ismenia from that time would be in her twenties now, likely of Greek or Latin American heritage where the classical name survives. It reads as an authentic, learned classical choice rather than a coinage, and it stays very rare in the United States.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Ismenia mean?
It is a Greek name from Ismene, a figure of Theban myth linked to the river Ismenus; it is also a rare medieval saint's name.
How do you pronounce Ismenia?
It's said iss-MEE-nee-uh /ɪsˈmi.ni.ə/, four syllables, stress on the second.
Is Ismenia a boy or girl name?
Ismenia is used as a girl's name.
How popular is Ismenia?
It has always been very rare, a classical name given to only a couple dozen girls a year at its peak.