boy's name
Idriss
ee-DREESS
- Origin Arabic
- Gender Boy
- Letters 6
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 10,671
France
#128
2025 births
Idriss is a boy's name of Arabic origin usually read as "studious" or "one who instructs," borne by a prophet named in the Quran. It ranks 128th in France and is at its peak in our records now.
- Idriss is a name of Arabic origin.
- Peaked in France in 2024, when 505 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 1,228 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1950.
Idriss over time
Births per decade in France, 1950s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 35 |
| 1960s | 65 |
| 1970s | 200 |
| 1980s | 585 |
| 1990s | 1,015 |
| 2000s | 1,790 |
| 2010s | 3,715 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 2,745 |
What Idriss means
Idriss is generally read as one who studies or instructs, from the Arabic root darasa, to study. Some scholars treat that as a folk etymology and the name as a borrowing, in which case the meaning belongs to the sound rather than the source.
Where Idriss comes from
Idriss is a French spelling of the Arabic Idris, conventionally derived from darasa, to study — a fitting reading for a figure the tradition credits with writing, arithmetic and the first use of the pen. Idris is named twice in the Quran and described as truthful and patient, and he is generally identified with the biblical Enoch, who in Genesis walks with God and is taken rather than dying. Some philologists argue the name is not Arabic at all but a rendering of Andreas or of the Greek Esdras, which would make the study connection an after-the-fact explanation. A separate Welsh Idris — from iud, lord, and ris, ardent — gives Cadair Idris in Snowdonia, and it is an entirely different name sharing four letters.
Idriss in use
Idriss ranks 128th in France with about 485 births in 2025 and is rising in our data, with its peak in our records in 2024. Our records carry it from 1950. It is rare elsewhere — 3,825th in England and Wales, 8,938th in the United States — where Idris is the usual spelling and Idris Elba has given it separate visibility.
How popular is Idriss?
In 2025, Idriss was given to 480 babies in France, ranking #128 that year. It is a rare choice.
Where Idriss is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
How Idriss is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Idrîss | Idrîss is a rare spelling of Idriss, written with a circumflex and recorded about 50 times, mostly in France. | 50 |
| Idrïss | Idrïss is a rare spelling of Idriss, written with a diaeresis and recorded about 5 times, mostly in France. | 5 |
Names that peaked alongside Idriss
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Idriss also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Idriss over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Idriss
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Idriss 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.
Sibling names for Idriss
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Idriss — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Idriss
What does the name Idriss mean?
It is usually read as "studious" or "one who instructs," from the Arabic darasa, to study.
Who was Idris?
A prophet named twice in the Quran, generally identified with the biblical Enoch.
Is Idriss related to the Welsh Idris?
No. The Welsh name comes from iud, lord, and ris, ardent, and gives Cadair Idris. They are unrelated.
How popular is Idriss?
128th in France, and at its high point in our records.
Is Idriss a girl's or a boy's name?
Idriss is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
What are the nicknames for Idriss?
Idriss is usually shortened to Elba.
Is Idriss a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Idriss currently ranks #128 in France. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.