Ives

Ives is a surname of English origin that is also found as a given name in some cases. It has a long history in English-speaking regions and appears in historical records from the medieval period to the present. The name is most commonly encountered in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada, among other places.

Etymology and variants are commonly linked to the given name Ivo (and, in French contexts, Yves). As a surname, Ives has functioned as a patronymic form meaning “son of Ivo,” and it has developed a number of spelling variants over time, reflecting regional pronunciations and historical language shifts.

Notable people with the surname include Charles Ives (1874–1954), an American composer and early innovator in 20th-century music. Ives is recognized for incorporating American popular and folk melodies with complex harmonies and experimental techniques, as seen in works such as the Concord Sonata and The Unanswered Question. His contributions are widely cited as foundational to American modernist music and to the broader experimental tradition in composition.