Iain
Iain was the 7357th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 11 babies. Its best year was 2003, when it ranked 1181st with 126 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 4,856 places. More babies were named Iain in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Ian) God is gracious (Scottish form of John) · Scottish Gaelic, Hebrew
- Rank in 2025
- #7,357 boys, down 4,617 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 11boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2003126 babies
- Total since 1880
- 2,911babies recorded
What does the name Iain mean?
Iain is a spelling of Ian, pronounced the same way, so it shares Ian's meaning and origin.
Ian is the anglicized spelling of Iain, the Scottish Gaelic form of John; Wiktionary also links it to the Gaelic Eòin. John goes back through Latin and Greek to Hebrew Yochanan, which DMNES glosses 'graced by God', a name usually read as 'God has been gracious'. Ian was long a mainly Scottish name before spreading through the English-speaking world in the 20th century. In the US it is usually said EE-uhn; a few families say EYE-uhn.
Iain (Scottish Gaelic, “John”)יוֹחָנָן (Biblical Hebrew, “Yochanan, God has been gracious”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Iain, Ean, John, Eoin, Sean.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God, names that mean grace.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Ian', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'John', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wikipedia, 'Ian', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Iain popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #7,357 | 11 |
| 2020 | #2,740 | 45 |
| 2010 | #2,046 | 67 |
| 2000 | #1,344 | 95 |
| 1990 | #2,397 | 29 |
| 1980 | #2,879 | 16 |
| 1970 | #2,088 | 19 |
| 1960 | #3,193 | 8 |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Iain, counting every spelling?
Iain is a spelling of Ian, a name family that ranked #89 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #7,357 for Iain on its own. Together these spellings went to 3,967 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ian | 3,924 | #83 | 21,846 |
| Iain | 11 | #7,357 | 110 |
| Iann | 19 | #5,101 | 109 |
| Eon | 13 | #6,567 | 84 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Iain?
11 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Iain (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Iain born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 750 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Iain.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Iain?
About 2,800 people born in the US named Iain are alive today, with a median age of 24; half are between 17 and 33. That makes Iain mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Iain by state
How common Iain was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. In 49 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Iain: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Iain, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Iain
What does Iain mean?
Iain is a spelling of Ian, which means “God is gracious (Scottish form of John)” (Scottish Gaelic, Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Iain?
Iain was the 7357th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 11 babies. Its best year was 2003, when it ranked 1181st with 126 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 4,856 places. More babies were named Iain in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Iain a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Iain in the US.
Where is Iain most popular?
In 2021–2025, Iain was most common in California (0.01 per 1,000 boys), followed by Texas and Texas.