Imogen (), or Imogene (), is a female given name of uncertain etymology.

Origin

It is possible that the name Imogen may have originated as an accidental or deliberate misspelling of the name Innogen, itself a possibly common Irish Gaelic name in the past, from the word 'inghean' meaning "maiden" or "girl", or a British Celtic name derived from the Latin . Innogen is known as the name of a legendary British queen and was supposedly wife to King

Brutus Marcus Junius Brutus (; ; 85 BC – 23 October 42 BC), often referred to simply as Brutus, was a Roman politician, orator, and the most famous of the assassins of Julius Caesar. After being adopted by a relative, he used the name Quintus Ser ...

and mother of Locrinus, Albanactus and Camber. The form Innogen is rare. Another theory is that it is derived from the Greek, meaning "beloved child". Imogen was the name of a politically influential sister of Rivallon I of Dol, a contemporary and ally of

William the Conqueror William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England The monarchy of the United Kingdom, ...

during the Breton-Norman War.

Popularity

In Australia, Imogen was the 35th most popular girls name from 2011 to 2013, while in England and Wales it was the 34th most popular baby girl name in 2014. As of July 2014, Imogen had never been in the top 1000 most popular baby names in the United States, with only 131 baby girls named Imogen in the US in 2013. It was ranked 86th in popularity for baby girls in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...

in 2007.Behind the Name
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People

* Imogen Annesley (born 1970), Australian actress * Imogen Bailey (born 1977), Australian model, actress and singer * Imogen Bankier (born 1987), Scottish badminton player * Imogen Boorman (born 1971), British actress from Hellbound: Hellraiser II * Imogen Cairns (born 1989), British gymnast * Imogene Coca (born 1908), American comic actress * Imogen Cooper (born 1949), English pianist * Imogen Cunningham (born 1883), American photographer * Imogen Edwards-Jones (born 1968), British author * Imogen Hassall (born 1942), British actress * Imogen Heap (born 1977), English singer-songwriter * Imogen Holst (born 1907), British composer and conductor * Imogen Kogge (born 1957), German actress *

Imogen LaChance Imogen LaChance (, Hanscom; November 22, 1853 – August 1938) was an American social reformer active in the temperance movement for 60 years. She served as president of the Arizona State Woman's Christian Temperance Union (W.C.T.U.). She was also ...

(1853–1838), American social reformer * Imogen Lloyd Webber (born 1977), British writer and theatre manager *

Imogen Murphy Imogen Murphy is an Irish film and television director. In 2021 she was nominated for an Irish Film & Television Academy award. In 2020 she was lead director and co-story writer on Irish-Canadian murder mystery series ''Dead Still'', which was nom ...

, Irish film and television director * Imogen Poots (born 1989), British actress * Imogen Stuart (born 1927), German sculptor *

Imogen Stubbs Imogen Stubbs (born 20 February 1961) is an English actress and writer. Her first leading part was in '' Privileged'' (1982), followed by ''A Summer Story'' (1988). Her first play, '' We Happy Few'', was produced in 2004. In 2008 she joined ' ...

(born 1961), English actress * Imogen Thomas (born 1982), Welsh model and contestant on Big Brother UK *

Imogen Waterhouse Imogen Hope Waterhouse (born 9 June 1994) is an English actress and model. She starred in the 2018 horror film ''Braid'', and starred also in the American fantasy television series '' The Outpost'' for three seasons from 2018 to 2021. Early lif ...

(born 1994), English actress and model

Fictional characters

* Imogen (Shakespeare) from

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

's play '' Cymbeline'' * Imogene, from

Vincenzo Bellini Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini (; 3 November 1801 – 23 September 1835) was a Sicilian opera composer, who was known for his long-flowing melodic lines for which he was named "the Swan of Catania". Many years later, in 1898, Gi ...

's 1827 opera '' Il pirata'' * Imogen, a character from Psyopus' 3-part song "Imogen's Puzzle" * Imogen, portrayed by Julia Stiles in the comedy '' Down to You'' * Imogen, from the book ''Bad Dreams'' by

Anne Fine Anne Fine OBE FRSL (born 7 December 1947) is an English writer. Although best known for children's books, she also writes for adults. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and she was appointed an OBE in 2003. Fine has written mor ...

* Imogen, from the book ''Imogen'' by Jilly Cooper * Imogen, Angus' younger sister in the Australian children's novel '' Bumface'' written by Morris Gleitzman * Imogene Herdman, from Barbara Robinson's children's story '' The Best Christmas Pageant Ever'' * Imogen, daughter of Winifred Dartie (née Forsyte), from '' The Forsyte Saga'' * Imogene, from Charles De Lint's ''The Blue Girl'' and ''In This Soul of a Woman'' * Imogene "Idgie" Threadgoode, from '' Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe'' * Imogen, from Jonathan Coe's novel '' The Rain Before It Falls'' * Imogen, from BBC's British children's television comedy-drama series '' Sadie J'' * Imogen Book, from

Eoin Colfer Eoin Colfer (; born 14 May 1965) is an Irish author of children's books. He worked as a primary school teacher before he became a full-time writer. He is best known for being the author of the ''Artemis Fowl'' series. In September 2008, Colf ...

's '' Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox'' * Imogene O'Neil, heroine of the 2009 miniseries ''

Meteor A meteoroid () is a small rocky or metallic body in outer space. Meteoroids are defined as objects significantly smaller than asteroids, ranging in size from grains to objects up to a meter wide. Objects smaller than this are classified as mic ...

'', played by

Marla Sokoloff Marla Lynne Sokoloff (born December 19, 1980) is an American actress. She is known for playing Lucy Hatcher on the legal drama television series '' The Practice'', and Gia Mahan on '' Full House'' and '' Fuller House''. She has also appeared in ...

* Imogen Melford, one of the four Melford sisters in

Diana Wynne Jones Diana Wynne Jones (16 August 1934 – 26 March 2011) was a British novelist, poet, academic, literary critic, and short story writer. She principally wrote fantasy and speculative fiction novels for children and young adults. Although usually ...

's ''

The Time of the Ghost ''The Time of the Ghost'' is a supernatural English-language children's novel by Diana Wynne Jones, published by Macmillan in 1981. Set in the English countryside, it features a teenage ghost who is one of four sisters, and observes the family, ...

'' *

Imogen Moreno '' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' is a Canadian teen drama television series created by Linda Schuyler and Yan Moore. The series is now considered the first incarnation and premiered on CTV on October 14, 2001, and then ended on MTV Canada a ...

, in the Canadian drama ''Degrassi'' * Imogen Hazard, one of many twin girls in

Angela Carter Angela Olive Pearce (formerly Carter, Stalker; 7 May 1940 – 16 February 1992), who published under the name Angela Carter, was an English novelist, short story writer, poet, and journalist, known for her feminist, magical realism, and pic ...

's 1991 book ''

Wise Children ::''This article refers to the novel by Angela Carter. For the album by Tom Harrell see Wise Children (album)'' ''Wise Children'' (1991) was the last novel written by Angela Carter. The novel follows the fortunes of twin chorus girls, Dora and ...

'' * Imogen, played by Louisa Lytton in the 2009 teen comedy '' American Pie Presents: The Book of Love'' * Imogène, from Charles Exbrayat's series of humorous novels * Aunt Imogene, from the 2010 film ''

Alice in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creature ...

'' portrayed by Frances de la Tour * Imogene, Trixie Delight's maid in ''

Addie Pray ''Addie Pray'' is a 1971 novel by Joe David Brown. It was adapted for the 1973 film '' Paper Moon'', directed by Peter Bogdanovich. After the film's release, the novel was retitled ''Paper Moon''. The 1974 ABC situation comedy '' Paper Moon'', ...

'' by

Joe David Brown Joe David Brown (May 12, 1915 – April 22, 1976) was an American novelist and journalist from Birmingham, Alabama. He drew memorably from his own life to compose his fiction: his grandfather's role as a minister, his own knowledge of confidenc ...

, also appearing in the film '' Paper Moon'' based on the novel * Imogene Graham, a major character in '' Indian Summer'', an 1886 novel by

William Dean Howells William Dean Howells (; March 1, 1837 – May 11, 1920) was an American realist novelist, literary critic, and playwright, nicknamed "The Dean of American Letters". He was particularly known for his tenure as editor of ''The Atlantic Monthly'', ...

* Imogen, the principal female character in the

Ascendance Trilogy The ''Ascendance Series'' (formerly the ''Ascendance Trilogy'') is a series of juvenile fantasy novels by Jennifer A. Nielsen. In the Ascendance Series, an orphan named Sage is kidnapped and trained to impersonate Prince Jaron, the missing Prin ...

Jennifer A. Nielsen Jennifer Anne Nielsen (born July 10, 1971) is an American author known primarily for young adult fiction. Her works include the '' Ascendance Series'', ''Behind Enemy Lines'' (one of the books in the Infinity Ring series), ''The Mark of the Th ...

* Imogen, from '' Shades of Grey'' by Jasper Fforde * Imogen Clark, a minor character in '' What Katy Did'' by Susan Coolidge * Imogen Reed, from the video game '' SOMA'' * Imogen, from ''

Imogen Says Nothing ''Imogen Says Nothing: The Annotated Life of Imogen of Messina, last sighted in the First Folio of William Shakespeare's'' Much Adoe About Nothing is a three-act play by Aditi Brennan Kapil inspired by a ghost character in Shakespeare's '' Much A ...

'', a play by

Aditi Kapil Aditi Brennan Kapil is an American playwright and screenwriter. Kapil has had plays commissioned from Yale Repertory Theatre (''Imogen Says Nothing''), La Jolla Playhouse (''Brahman/i''), South Coast Repertory Theatre (''Orange''), Mixed Bloo ...

* Imogene Cleary, from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, an Amazon original TV series. Played by

Bailey De Young Bailey Marie De Young (''née'' Buntain; September 16, 1989) is an American actress. She is known for playing Ginny Thompson on '' Bunheads'', Lauren Cooper on '' Faking It'', and Imogene Cleary on '' The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel''. Career De ...

* Imogen Staxton-Billing, from the Revengers' Comedies plays and Malcolm Mowbray's 1998 film ''Sweet Revenge'', played by Kristin Scott Thomas * Imogene Duncan, from the 2012 film '' Girl Most Likely'', played by Kristen Wiig * Imogen Spurnrose, from the Amazon original series '' Carnival Row'', played by Tamzin Merchant * Imogen Royce, an assassination target in the '' Hitman 3'' video game * Imogen Temult, Laura Bailey's character from campaign three of Critical Role * Imogen Heaney, Rhea Norwood’s character in the Netflix adaptation of

Alice Oseman Alice May Oseman (born 16 October 1994) is an English author of young adult fiction. She secured her first publishing deal at 17, and had her first novel ''Solitaire'' published in 2014. Her novels include ''Radio Silence'', ''I Was Born for Th ...

’s series '' Heartstopper'' * Imogen Adams, the protagonist of '' Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin'', played by Bailee Madison

References

{{given name English feminine given names Feminine given names