boy's name
Ian
EE-un
- Origin Scottish
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 3
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 289,131
the United States
#83
2025 births
Ian is a boy's name of Scottish origin meaning "Yahweh is gracious," the Scottish Gaelic form of John. It derives from Iain, itself from the Latin Iohannes, and is one of the most distinctively Scottish names in common English use.
- Ian is a name of Scottish origin.
- Peaked in 2005, when 6,704 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 843 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1912.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Ian over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1910s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 92 |
| 1920s | 225 |
| 1930s | 445 |
| 1940s | 784 |
| 1950s | 1,670 |
| 1960s | 4,996 |
| 1970s | 17,321 |
| 1980s | 38,032 |
| 1990s | 54,153 |
| 2000s | 62,046 |
| 2010s | 52,549 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 26,166 |
What Ian means
Ian means Yahweh is gracious, inherited unchanged from John and ultimately the Hebrew Yochanan. The meaning is a statement about God rather than a description of the bearer, as with most Hebrew theophoric names.
Where Ian comes from
Ian anglicizes the Scottish Gaelic Iain, which came from the Latin Iohannes, the church's form of the Hebrew Yochanan, meaning Yahweh is gracious. Every European language produced its own version of John — Sean in Ireland, Evan in Wales, Jean in France, Juan in Spain — and Iain is the Scottish contribution. The spelling Ian, without the second i, became standard in English writing during the twentieth century and spread far beyond Scotland. The related surname MacIain, son of Iain, survives as McKean and similar forms.
Ian in use
Ian, Sean, Evan, Jean and Juan are the same name in five languages, all from the Hebrew Yochanan.
How popular is Ian?
In 2025, Ian was given to 3,932 babies in the United States, ranking #83 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Ian is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Ian
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Ian also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Ian over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Ian in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Amis
- Iwan
- Ancient Greek
- Ioannis
- Arabic
- Jehan
- Armenian
- Ivan
- Atayal
- Iwan
- Breton
- Yann
- Bulgarian
- Ivan
- Dutch
- Jean Sean Joan Juan Johnny Ivan Giovanni Jan Johan Gianni Johann Hans Joannes Johannes Iwan Ivo
- Galician
- Ivo
- Greek
- Ioannis
- Macedonian
- Ivan
- North Germanic
- Jan
- Occitan
- Joan
- Russian
- Ivan
- Sardinian
- Ioan
- Seediq
- Iwan
- Serbian
- Ivan
- Ukrainian
- Ivan
Sibling names for Ian
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Ian — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Ian
What does the name Ian mean?
Ian means "Yahweh is gracious," inherited from John.
Is Ian a Scottish name?
Yes. It is the Scottish Gaelic form of John, from Iain.
What is the difference between Ian and Iain?
Iain is the Gaelic spelling; Ian is the anglicized form that became standard in English.
How popular is the name Ian?
In 2025, Ian was given to 3,932 babies in the United States, ranking #83 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Is Ian a girl's or a boy's name?
Ian is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Ian?
Ian has 2 syllables.
When was Ian most popular?
Ian peaked in 2005, when 6,704 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
Is Ian a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Ian currently ranks #83 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.