Ivy
A surname that likely began as a nickname or baptismal form, and may also have been influenced by the evergreen plant name.
The #2,667 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 22,829 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Ivy is usually explained as a form of Ive or Ivey, ultimately a diminutive of the medieval personal name Ive. That name is itself commonly connected with the old Germanic name Ivo, often associated with the yew tree in early name traditions. Some writers also suggested a second influence from the word ivy, the climbing evergreen, which may have reinforced or shaped the surname form.
History
Bardsley treats Ivy as a baptismal surname, meaning 'the son of Ive,' and notes spellings such as Ivey and Ivie. Lower adds a folk-cultural explanation: Ivy also appears as a character in old Christmas games, paired with Holly, and this may have helped popularize or reshape the name in some places. The surname is attested in historical records in several spellings, including Ivy, Ivie, and Ivey.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In older seasonal customs, Ivy and Holly could appear as paired symbolic characters, with Ivy often cast as the female counterpart to Holly.
From the historical record
“its lord in Domesday Book. IVY. May be the same as Ive, or a de- rivative of it ; but there was a favourite character in the old Christmas games called Ivy, whose antagonist was Holly ; and the frolics of the i/f'%-i?fly and the Ivy- Girl were maintained in Kent (but on St. Valen- tine's day) till towards the close…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom