Ian
The Scottish Gaelic Iain, a form of John.
Popularity, 1880–2025
Ian first shows up in the national records in 1912. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in every year from 1982 to 2025. Its biggest year was 2005, when 6,688 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 68 nationally. Its best ranking came in 2003, at No. 65. In 2025 it ranked No. 83 for boys. All told, 258,479 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Ione (10,004), Iain (2,911), Iann (591) (total births since 1880)
Other names that share a story: John
Explore Ian interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 92 | No. 1693 |
| 1920s | 225 | No. 1111 |
| 1930s | 445 | No. 776 |
| 1940s | 779 | No. 656 |
| 1950s | 1,670 | No. 531 |
| 1960s | 4,977 | No. 253 |
| 1970s | 17,186 | No. 107 |
| 1980s | 37,770 | No. 68 |
| 1990s | 54,007 | No. 67 |
| 2000s | 61,925 | No. 65 |
| 2010s | 52,475 | No. 72 |
| 2020s | 26,113 | No. 69 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.