Indigo

What does Indigo mean?

Indigo is a name taken directly from the deep blue colour and the historic dye produced from plants of the genus Indigofera. The word ultimately comes from the Greek indikon, used to describe the blue dye imported from India. As a given name it evokes the colour itself and the rich, natural history behind it.

The tone of Indigo is modern and slightly artful. It feels creative and nature-minded rather than purely decorative. Parents may hear echoes of colour names such as Violet or Olive, but Indigo carries a stronger, more saturated presence. It suggests depth, calm and a hint of exotic or botanical heritage.

Historical Context

The word indigo entered European languages via Greek indikon, a term used for the deep blue dye that came from India. The dye itself has an ancient history. Plants in the Indigofera family were used across South and Southeast Asia, Africa and parts of the Americas to produce a distinctive blue pigment valued in textiles and trade. The colour name moved into Latin and later the Romance languages and English.

As a given name, Indigo is a recent development, part of a broader trend of colour, nature and word names that gained popularity in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. The name carries the layered history of commerce, craft and botanical knowledge. While the ultimate etymology links back to trade routes and ancient plant dyes, the modern use is straightforward: a word name inspired by a vibrant, blue hue.

Popularity of Indigo over time

In 2025, Indigo was given to 82 girls in the UK and 318 girls in the US. Indigo has risen sharply over the last 20 years, and is now an uncommon girls' name especially in the US.

What do parents think of Indigo?