She’s a teen queen from the 1980s who made a throwback choice sound almost modern.

Thanks to JNE for suggesting Ione as Baby Name of the Day.

Born Ione Skye Leitch, the daughter of “Mellow Yellow” Donovan Leitch was unforgettable as the prim and proper valedictorian Diane in 1989’s Say Anything.

About Abby Sandel

Whether you're naming a baby, or just all about names, you've come to the right place! Appellation Mountain is a haven for lovers of obscure gems and enduring classics alike.

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15 Comments

  1. I know this is an old post, but I was wondering if this can be pronounced EYE-oh-nee (with an emphasis on the 1st syllable). Does anyone know if that’s how model Coco Rocha pronounces her daughter Ioni’s name?

  2. My middle name is Ione (eye-OWN-ee), passed down from my mothers middle name, her mother being given it as a first name. I understand that when my great grandmother was pregnant with her 13th child, she was reading The Last Days of Pompeii and one of the main characters, which she loved in that book, was named Ione. Hence the choice.
    There is a Pulman rail carriage named Ione and I heard a reporter last week with this name also. Now I’m hearing it more, I’m liking it better!

  3. My middle name is Ione. I was named after my great grandmother, Lenelda Ione. However, we pronounce it eye own. I’ve never met or heard of anybody else with this name. I’m happy to see it getting some glory on here 🙂

    1. My husband’s grandmother was named Ione. She just passed this February and her name was Ione and she pronounced it eye-own. Glad to see another that pronounces it this way. I’d never heard of the other pronunciation until I started researching the name…