Boy name origins & meanings
- Scottish : God is gracious
- Hebrew : God's grace
What does Ian mean and stand for?
The name Ian is of Scottish origin and means "the Lord is gracious". It is the Scottish version of John, which was derived from the Hebrew name Yohanan.
Syllables: 1
Boy name variations
Famous people with this first name
Famous people who gave their babies this name
Popularity
According to Social Security Administration data, Ian has been consistently popular, maintaining a spot in the top 100 since 2000. It reached peak popularity in 2003, at rank 65.
However, it is the 26th most popular name on FamilyEducation.com.
According to Google search data analysis, in the last five years Ian was at its peak popularity in November 2018.
Ian was first introduced as a name to Americans by the creator of James Bond, Ian Fleming. Already a popular name in England in 1975, Ian took a little while longer to gain popularity in America. Now, the name is rather common with namesakes such as actor Ian McKellan, novelist Ian McEwan, and Ian Ziering to name a few. Despite the overwhelming amount of notable Ians, it is not a common name chosen for fictional characters.
Where is it Popular?
Ian was searched for most often in the following states:
Pairs well with these middle names
Appears on
- The Rise of Raindrop Baby Names
- The Ultimate List of Three Letter Boy Names
- Traditional Names
- 50 Names that Mean Blessing
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