boy's name
Idris
ID-riss
- Origin Welsh
- Gender Boy
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (E&W)
- Births on record 14,421
the United States
#694
2025 births
Idris is a name with two entirely separate origins. In Welsh it means "ardent lord," from a legendary giant; in Arabic it names a prophet and is usually read as "studious" — and the two are unrelated.
- Idris is a name of Welsh origin.
- Peaked in US records in 2025, when 397 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in US records.
- Today about 1 in 1,432 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1914.
Idris over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1910s to 2020s. Idris is more popular in England and Wales — see the country table below. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 5 |
| 1920s | 20 |
| 1950s | 7 |
| 1970s | 282 |
| 1980s | 288 |
| 1990s | 345 |
| 2000s | 543 |
| 2010s | 1,638 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 1,956 |
What Idris means
Idris means ardent or impulsive lord in Welsh, from udd, lord, and ris, ardent. The Arabic Idris is traditionally connected to darasa, to study or learn, giving studious or instructor.
Where Idris comes from
The Welsh Idris comes from udd, lord, and ris, ardent or impulsive. Idris Gawr — Idris the Giant — was a seventh-century prince said to have been an astronomer, and Cadair Idris, the chair of Idris, is the mountain in Snowdonia named after him. The Arabic Idris is a separate name entirely, borne by a prophet in the Quran usually identified with the biblical Enoch, and connected by tradition to darasa, to study, though that derivation is disputed by linguists. Two unrelated names reached the same spelling, and both are current in Britain.
Idris in use
Our data shows Idris peaking in 2025 and still rising, at 142 in England and Wales. It first appears in our records in 1914. In Britain it is used by Welsh families and by Muslim families for entirely different reasons — one of very few names on this site where a single spelling serves two unconnected traditions at once.
How popular is Idris?
In 2025, Idris was given to 368 babies in England and Wales, ranking #142 that year. It is well established in England and Wales.
Where Idris is used
England and Wales figures withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year. The historical chart above uses US records, the only series running back to 1880. Data & sources.
How Idris is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Idrîs | Idrîs is a rare spelling of Idris, written with a circumflex and recorded about 40 times, mostly in France. | 40 |
Names that peaked alongside Idris
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Idris also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Idris over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Idris in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Arabic
- Idriss
Sibling names for Idris
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Idris — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Idris
What does the name Idris mean?
In Welsh, "ardent lord." In Arabic it names a prophet and is traditionally read as "studious." The two are unrelated.
Is Idris Welsh or Arabic?
Both, independently. Two separate names reached the same spelling, and both are used in Britain today.
What is Cadair Idris?
A mountain in Snowdonia — the chair of Idris, named for the legendary giant and astronomer Idris Gawr.
How popular is the name Idris?
In 2025, Idris was given to 368 babies in England and Wales, ranking #142 that year. It is well established in England and Wales.
Is Idris a girl's or a boy's name?
Idris is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
When was Idris most popular?
Idris peaked in 2025, when 397 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Idris a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Idris currently ranks #142 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.