Ian
Ian was the 83rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 3,924 babies. Its best year was 2003, when it ranked 65th; the most babies were born in 2005 (6,688). Over the last ten years it has moved down 7 places. More babies were named Ian in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning God is gracious (Scottish form of John) · Scottish Gaelic, Hebrew
Say it EE-uhn /ˈiən/
- Rank in 2025
- #83 boys, unchanged since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 3,924boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20056,688 babies
- Total since 1880
- 258,479babies recorded
What does the name Ian mean?
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
Ian popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 815 since 1940, 8 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #83 | 3,924 |
| 2020 | #83 | 4,267 |
| 2010 | #72 | 5,563 |
| 2000 | #73 | 5,886 |
| 1990 | #70 | 5,460 |
| 1980 | #104 | 2,909 |
| 1970 | #222 | 1,116 |
| 1960 | #511 | 242 |
| 1950 | #622 | 123 |
| 1940 | #844 | 56 |
| 1930 | #1,029 | 45 |
| 1920 | #2,862 | 10 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Ian, counting every spelling?
Ian is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #89 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #83 for Ian 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 Ian?
3,924 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Ian (1.09 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Ian born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 49. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 2 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Ian.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Ian?
About 247,700 people born in the US named Ian are alive today, with a median age of 24; half are between 14 and 35. That makes Ian 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.
Ian by state
How common Ian was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Jersey (1.7×), Rhode Island (1.6×), Maryland (1.6×), New Mexico (1.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in South Dakota, West Virginia, Montana.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Ian: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Ian, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Ian · Sibling names for Ian
Questions about the name Ian
What does Ian mean?
Ian means “God is gracious (Scottish form of John)” (Scottish Gaelic, Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Ian?
Ian was the 83rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 3,924 babies. Its best year was 2003, when it ranked 65th; the most babies were born in 2005 (6,688). Over the last ten years it has moved down 7 places. More babies were named Ian in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Ian a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Ian in the US.
Where is Ian most popular?
In 2021–2025, Ian was most common in New Jersey (4.21 per 1,000 boys), followed by Rhode Island and Maryland.