baby name IgnatiusThe baby name Ignatius sounds saintly and offbeat, and also surprisingly cool.

Thanks to Sara for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.

ANCIENT and FIERY

The family name Egnatius dates back to the Etruscans, the civilization that flourished prior to the founding of Rome. Gellius Egnatius commanded an army in the third century BC. Six hundred years later, the name was still in use.

The Latin ignis means fire – think of ignite. And igneous rock comes from a volcano, the product of cooled lava.

Egnatius probably traded the ‘e’ for the ‘i’ spelling thanks to the association. Now most baby name guides will tell you that Ignatius means fiery.

While the story is a little complicated, fiery is a great meaning. And Ignatius might be a touch more subtle than the equally saintly Blaise.

SAINTS IGNATIUS

There’s more than one Saint Ignatius, including a first century Bishop of Antioch.

But the figure that comes to mind for most was born Inigo Lopez de Loyola, future founder of the Catholic Jesuit order. Pope Francis is a Jesuit.

The young Inigo was named after another saint. The Old Basque name Ennecus – or Enecon, Enecus, Eneko, or Innicus – probably comes from elements meaning “my” and a diminutive suffix. That translates to something like “my dear.”

But Ennecus was commonly known as Saint Iñigo, the namesake for the future saint. He was an eleventh-century abbot canonized in 1259.

Iñigo de Loyola was born in 1491.

Loyola was the youngest son in an aristocratic family. He became a knight, and fought in many a battle. In 1521, he was severely injured during a skirmish at Pamplona. During his convalescence, Loyola read works on Christianity – and his life changed forever.

Instead of returning to the army, he retired his armor and went on pilgrimage. When Loyola returned, he would study, preach, and, while studying at the University of Paris in 1534, found the Society of Jesus with six other men.

Iñigo became Ignatius at some point during his sojourn in France. It was never a deliberate name change – just a shift to using a name more familiar outside of his homeland.

From the beginning, the Jesuits focused on education. By the time Loyola died in 1556, they’d already established 74 schools on three continents.

Thanks to all of the saints, forms of the name are in use throughout Europe and the Spanish-speaking world.

You might come across the Czech Ignác, Polish Ignacy, Spanish Ignacio (with fun nickname Nacho), French Ignace, Italian Ignazio, or German Ignaz, to list just a few.

LITERARY RARITY

John Kennedy O’Toole’s A Confederacy of Dunces was published in 1980, more than a decade after the author’s death. It’s now considered a literary classic, but O’Toole’s Ignatius J. Reilly isn’t a particularly likable character.

There’s a successful Ignatius Gallaher in a short story in James Joyce’ Dubliners.

Born on a slave ship, Ignatius Sancho lived much of his early life in service in England. In his later years, he became known for his writing, and his posthumously published Letters of the Late Ignatius Sancho, an African, helped make the case for the abolition of the slave trade.

There’s a Harry Potter tie. Ignatius is the middle name of Percy Weasley.

IGGY

The logical nickname, Iggy, brings to mind punk godfather Iggy Pop – who was actually born James.

“Lust for Life” isn’t exactly a lullaby, but if Jason Biggs can name his kid after Sid Vicious, is Iggy Pop really off limits?

Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton gave the name to their youngest son in April 2008: Dashiell, Roman, and Ignatius.

If Iggy doesn’t work, there are other possibilities: Nat and Nate, usually short for Nathan or Nathaniel. And Nash seems like another option.

BY the NUMBERS

The baby name Ignatius is one of those intriguing rarities.

On the one hand, thanks to the legacy of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the name is broadly recognized. That’s even more true given the number of schools and universities named in his honor. (There are four Loyola universities in the US alone.)

And yet, it certainly belongs with the more unusual name in terms of use.

Last ranked in the US Top 1000 way back in the year 1930, the baby name Ignatius was given to just 83 boys in 2021.

The Spanish Ignacio is more common, with 223 births in 2021, enough to put in the #981 spot in the rankings. Even so, that’s still fairly rare.

FIERY and SERIOUS

Many of the parents who choose Ignatius are likely Catholic. The saint’s significant reputation can be a plus or a negative, depending on your worldview. But as the name of several saints, including a pretty heavy hitter, it’s not surprising that the baby name Ignatius suggests a spiritual motivation.

But that’s not to say it’s off limits to anyone else.

The trend towards longer, more elaborate choices like Sebastian and Atticus favors ancient Ignatius, too. It’s a boy’s name with plenty of sound and syllables.

And the baby name Ignatius combines some appealing qualities. It’s a serious, substantial choice. But it also offers a range of great nicknames. And that meaning – fiery – puts this quirky traditional on the list of baby boy names that could appeal to parents looking for a mix of spirit and strength.

What do you think of the baby name Ignatius?

This post was originally published on May 24, 2008. It was substantially revised and re-posted on December 23, 2014 and again on January 10, 2023.

baby name Ignatius baby name Ignatius

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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9 Comments

  1. We are currently considering Ignatius as a middle name. we have decided on August for the first name and I am really wanting something more unusual for a middle name. Hubby nixed my favorite middle name Orion but seems to like Ignatius, go figure. but he passed it by some friends who had a bad reaction and now I think he may be having second thoughts. Thoughts on August Ignatius??

    1. REJ-
      I just read your comment and had to respond! My 5 year old son’s name is August (Augie) and his best friend happens to be Ignatius (Iggy). How funny! I think combined in one name it would be a mouthful. My son has a single syllable middle name, and his friend has a middle name with two syllables. Either way you can’t go wrong though, as I’m a bit biased towards the two adorable boys in my life. And for what it’s worth, they both have little brother’s whose names start with O, so I’m inclined towards Orion as well.

  2. I think Ignatius Martin Upton is a beautiful name combo and although I would love Ignatius for a boy, I can’t hope to find a combo that goes as well as Ignatius Martin. By the way- I got the name Ignatius not from a religious association but from the John Kennedy Toole novel, A Confederacy of Dunces. I know Ignatius Reilly isn’t a literary character a parent would want to name a child after, but it just has a special place in my heart 🙂

  3. Lola, if there were some sort of an award for fabulous family trees, I think you’d win!

    I think Iggy is the kind of nickname a boy *might* choose to leave behind. I know a Dan who became Daniel; a Mike who is now Michael. Then again, I know a Michael who is still Macky – and a surgeon! And a Charles who is Charlie in his 80s; his 50-something son Charles Jr. is known as Chip, even professionally.

    So you’re right – it’s all about options and figuring out if you’re a serious Nate or a creative Iggy. We just can’t always know before they’re born.

  4. Love Ignatius! He’s my Family Patriarch, the one who finally crossed to America. He’s a heavy contender for another boy for us. I adore Iggy (which is what the original went by) in case he’s as boisterous as his brothers, Nate for if he’s not. I adore mulitiple nickname options; having choices is always a grand thing to have, I think!

  5. Cate B. is a great baby namer. I’d love to hear other names she considered.

    While kicking around Ignatius – not only are we Catholic, my husband is a Georgetown alum – it occurred to me that the nicknames Nate and Nat would logically follow from Ignatius. It makes it even easier to wear. Though I’m still partial to Iggy.

    Unfortunately, we already have an Ignatius in our tribe. He’s growing up on the other side of the Atlantic, but it still feels a bit wrong to duplicate such an unusual choice.

  6. It certainly is adventurous! I did think of the the Jesuits when I heard the name, and I do really like it as a choice for a more religious person than myself. It is a hefty choice, but would still work among the Alexander, Roman, Francisco crowd, I think. Dashiell is a great sibling for Ignatius, too. I do like her naming choices. They’re so unusual and strong without being outright bizarre.