This list includes 52 Asian boy names that start with I, from “Ibrahim” to “Iñigo”. Many names reflect diverse languages across South, East, Southeast, Central, and West Asia, spanning traditional and modern choices.
Asian boy names that start with I are male given names from across Asia that begin with the letter I. Names such as “Ibrahim” show Arabic influence, while “Iñigo” hints at cross-cultural adoption.
Below you’ll find the table with Name, Pronunciation, Meaning, Region, and Notes.
Name: The standard spelling of each name so you can recognize, compare, and shortlist options for a baby or character.
Pronunciation: A simple phonetic respelling (and sometimes IPA) that helps you say each name correctly from first reading.
Meaning: A concise meaning or root that explains the name’s literal sense or cultural significance for quick comparison.
Region: The likely country or language of origin so you know cultural context and whether a name suits your background.
Notes: Brief notes on popularity, variations, or cultural usage to help you choose respectfully and accurately.
Asian boy names that start with I
| Name | Country/Region | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ibrahim | Across Asia | ee-BRAH-him (ˌɪbrəˈhɪm) | God will raise (Hebrew/Arabic) |
| Ismail | Across Asia | is-MAYL (ɪsˈmaɪl) | God hears (Hebrew/Arabic) |
| Ishaq | Across Asia | ish-AHK (ɪʃˈɑːk) | he will laugh (Hebrew/Arabic) |
| Isa | Across Asia | EE-sah (ˈiːsə) | Jesus (Arabic) |
| Imran | Across Asia | im-RAHN (ɪmˈrɑːn) | prosperous, populous (Arabic) |
| Idris | Across Asia | ih-DRIS (ɪˈdrɪs) | interpreter, studious (Arabic/Welsh) |
| Ilyas | Across Asia | ih-LEE-us (ɪˈliːəs) | Elijah (Arabic) |
| Iman | Iran | ee-MAHN (ɪˈmɑːn) | faith (Arabic) |
| Iqbal | Pakistan | ik-BAHL (ɪkˈbɑːl) | prosperity (Arabic/Persian) |
| Irfan | Pakistan | ir-FAHN (ɪrˈfɑːn) | knowledge, wisdom (Arabic) |
| Imad | Across Asia | ih-MAD (ɪˈmæd) | pillar, support (Arabic) |
| Ihsan | Turkey | ih-SAHN (ɪhˈsɑːn) | excellence, benevolence (Arabic) |
| Iskandar | Central Asia | iss-KAN-dar (ɪsˈkændər) | Alexander (Greek via Persian) |
| Ishaan | India | ish-AAN (ɪˈʃɑːn) | sun; lord (Shiva) (Sanskrit) |
| Ishan | India | ih-SHAHN (ɪˈʃɑːn) | sun; lord (Sanskrit) |
| Indra | India | IN-drah (ˈɪndrə) | king of gods; thunder (Sanskrit) |
| Inder | India | IN-der (ˈɪndər) | lord of heaven (Sanskrit) |
| Indrajit | India | in-dra-JEET (ˌɪndrəˈdʒiːt) | vanquisher of Indra (Sanskrit) |
| Ishwar | India | ish-WAHR (ɪʃˈwɑːr) | lord, god (Sanskrit) |
| Ilango | India | ih-LAHN-go (ɪˈlaŋɡo) | young man; prince (Tamil) |
| Ilan | Israel | ee-LAHN (iˈlan) | tree (Hebrew) |
| Ichiro | Japan | ee-CHEE-roh (iˈtɕiɾo) | first son (Japanese – Hepburn) |
| Isamu | Japan | ee-SAH-moo (iˈsamu) | courage, bravery (Japanese) |
| Itsuki | Japan | ee-TSOO-kee (iˈtsuki) | tree; establishment (Japanese) |
| Ikuo | Japan | ee-KOO-oh (iˈkuo) | nurturing son (Japanese) |
| Iori | Japan | ee-OH-ree (iˈoɾi) | dwelling; weaving (Japanese) |
| Inosuke | Japan | ee-NO-skeh (iˈnoske) | young man (Japanese) |
| Issei | Japan | ees-SEH-ee (isˈseː) | first generation (Japanese) |
| Iwao | Japan | ee-WAH-oh (iˈwao) | rock man (Japanese) |
| In-ho | Korea | in-HOH (inˈho) | benevolence + bravery (Korean elements) |
| Il-sung | Korea | IL-sung (ilˈsʌŋ) | one who becomes (Korean elements) |
| Il-woo | Korea | IL-woo (ilˈuː) | one who helps (Korean elements) |
| Ik-jun | Korea | IK-joon (ikˈdʒun) | honest, talented (Korean elements) |
| Ilker | Turkey | IL-ker (ilˈkɛr) | first, pioneer (Turkish) |
| Ismet | Turkey | IS-met (isˈmet) | honor, chastity (Arabic/Turkish) |
| Iraj | Iran | ee-RAHJ (iˈrɑːdʒ) | man of praise (Persian) |
| Ibrohim | Uzbekistan | ib-ROH-heem (ɪbrəˈhiːm) | Ibrahim (local form) (Arabic/Uzbek) |
| Ilhom | Uzbekistan | il-HOM (ilˈhom) | inspiration (Uzbek/Persian) |
| Iwan | Indonesia | EE-wahn (ˈiːwɑn) | youth (Javanese/Indonesian) |
| Imam | Indonesia | ih-MAHM (ˈimɑm) | leader (religious) (Arabic) |
| Isagani | Philippines | ee-sah-GAH-nee (isəˈɡani) | gifted (Tagalog/literary) |
| Iñigo | Philippines | IN-nee-go (iˈɲiɡo) | my hill (Basque/Spanish) |
| Isaias | Philippines | ee-SAH-yas (isaˈjas) | Yahweh saves (Hebrew via Spanish) |
| Ihab | Across Asia | ih-HAB (iˈhæb) | gift, grant (Arabic) |
| Izzat | Pakistan | iz-ZAHT (ɪzˈzɑːt) | honor, prestige (Arabic/Persian) |
| Iftikhar | Pakistan | if-TIK-har (ɪfˈtɪkər) | pride, honor (Arabic) |
| Ijaz | Pakistan | ih-JAHZ (ɪˈdʒɑːz) | miracle, inimitability (Arabic) |
| Imtiaz | Pakistan | im-TEE-az (ɪmˈtɪɑːz) | distinction, excellence (Arabic) |
| Iyad | Across Asia | ee-YAD (iˈjad) | support, helper (Arabic) |
| Iskander | Central Asia | iss-KAN-der (ɪsˈkændər) | Alexander (Greek via Persian) |
| Izhar | Pakistan | iz-HAR (izˈhɑːr) | to make clear, manifest (Arabic) |
| Ishfaq | Pakistan | ish-FAHK (ɪʃˈfɑːk) | compassion, sympathy (Arabic) |
Descriptions
Ibrahim
Very common Muslim given name across South, Southeast and Central Asia; variant of Abraham, used widely in Pakistan, Indonesia, Turkey and elsewhere.
Ismail
Arabic form of Ishmael; popular male name in Muslim communities across Asia, common in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Indonesia.
Ishaq
Arabic form of Isaac used in South and West Asia, common among Muslim families as a classical biblical/Quranic name.
Isa
Quranic name for Jesus; widely used as a male name across Muslim-majority Asian countries.
Imran
Quranic name borne by notable figures; commonly used in Pakistan, Bangladesh and other Muslim Asian societies.
Idris
Name of a prophet in Islamic tradition; used across Muslim Asia and in Central Asia.
Ilyas
Arabic/Turkic form of Elijah; common across South, Central and West Asia.
Iman
In Iran often a masculine name; also used across Muslim Asia as unisex, meaning faith or belief.
Iqbal
Popular South Asian male name and surname; famous association with poet-philosopher Allama Iqbal.
Irfan
Common Muslim name in South and Southeast Asia, connotes learning and spiritual insight.
Imad
Masculine Arabic name used across Asia; conveys strength and dependability.
Ihsan
Used in Turkey and Arab Asia; has strong Islamic ethical connotations (doing good).
Iskandar
Persian/Turkic form of Alexander; found across Central and West Asia as a heroic/historical name.
Ishaan
Popular modern Indian male name (also spelled Ishan); associated with Shiva and northeastern direction.
Ishan
Alternate spelling of Ishaan; widely used in India and Nepal for boys.
Indra
Name of a major Vedic deity; used across South and Southeast Asia, especially in Hindu and Balinese communities.
Inder
Common Punjabi masculine name, often the first element in compound Sikh names (e.g., Inderjit).
Indrajit
Mythological name from the Ramayana; used in South Asia with heroic connotations.
Ishwar
Hindi name meaning God; used by Hindus in India and Nepal as a masculine given name.
Ilango
Classical Tamil male name seen in literature; used in South India and Sri Lanka.
Ilan
Common Israeli male name; short, nature-derived name also attested in other Asian settings.
Ichiro
Classic Japanese male name often given to first-born sons; familiar from literature and sports figures.
Isamu
Traditional masculine Japanese name conveying valor.
Itsuki
Popular modern given name in Japan, used for boys and sometimes girls.
Ikuo
Older Japanese male name; less common today but well attested.
Iori
Short unisex Japanese name used for boys and girls; contemporary and literary usage.
Inosuke
Traditional masculine name with classical flavor; appears in historical texts and fiction.
Issei
Often used for first-born sons or immigrant-generation names; common masculine name.
Iwao
Older Japanese male name implying strength and stability.
In-ho
Common Korean male given name (hyphenated single name); used in both North and South Korea.
Il-sung
Traditional Korean masculine name; historically notable though hyphenated as a single given name.
Il-woo
Modern Korean male name; hyphenated but treated as one given name.
Ik-jun
Common Korean male name where “Ik” is the initial syllable; hyphenated single given name.
Ilker
Popular contemporary Turkish male name meaning pioneer or firstborn.
Ismet
Traditional Turkish masculine name commonly used in Turkey and Turkish-speaking communities.
Iraj
Classical Persian male name frequently found in literature and among Iranians.
Ibrohim
Uzbek variant of Ibrahim; common male name in Uzbekistan and Tajik communities.
Ilhom
Modern Uzbek male name meaning inspiration or revelation, used across Central Asia.
Iwan
Very common Indonesian male name, often Javanese; short, familiar and widely used.
Imam
Title used as a male given name in Indonesia and Malaysia; common and respected.
Isagani
Filipino masculine name popularized in literature; traditional and literary usage in the Philippines.
Iñigo
Of Spanish-Basque origin but historically used in the Philippines; masculine and classical.
Isaias
Biblical name used in Spanish-influenced Filipino communities; masculine.
Ihab
Arabic masculine name used across Middle Eastern and South Asian Muslim communities.
Izzat
Common male name in South Asia conveying honor or reputation.
Iftikhar
Popular South Asian Muslim male name, often used in Pakistan and India.
Ijaz
Common masculine name in South Asia with poetic connotations.
Imtiaz
Used widely in South Asia; denotes merit or special recognition.
Iyad
Arabic male name used across the Middle East and in Asian Arab communities.
Iskander
Variant of Iskandar; used in Central Asian and Persian-influenced areas as a heroic name.
Izhar
Masculine Arabic name used in South Asia meaning revelation or demonstration.
Ishfaq
Common male given name in Pakistan and India conveying kindness and empathy.