Ian
Borrowed from Scottish Gaelic Eòin.
Every Ian since 1912 — 258,479 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Ian
Ian is a top-100 name for boys in the United States, ranked #83 in 2025 with 3,924 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1912, 258,479 American babies have been named Ian. Its peak came in 2005, when 6,704 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2000s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Ian stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Ian year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8 | #11,297 | 3,924 | #83 |
| 2024 | 8 | #11,494 | 4,560 | #75 |
| 2023 | 10 | #9,874 | 4,555 | #69 |
| 2022 | 8 | #11,604 | 4,505 | #72 |
| 2021 | 7 | #12,700 | 4,302 | #81 |
| 2020 | 12 | #8,608 | 4,267 | #83 |
| 2019 | 7 | #12,966 | 4,551 | #81 |
| 2018 | 6 | #14,491 | 4,706 | #79 |
| 2017 | 10 | #10,242 | 5,033 | #76 |
| 2016 | 9 | #11,207 | 5,079 | #78 |
| 2015 | 13 | #8,638 | 5,332 | #76 |
| 2014 | 6 | #15,324 | 5,461 | #77 |
| 2013 | — | — | 5,434 | #80 |
| 2012 | 9 | #11,627 | 5,696 | #78 |
| 2011 | 14 | #8,353 | 5,620 | #72 |
| 2010 | — | — | 5,563 | #72 |
| 2009 | 5 | #18,352 | 5,807 | #73 |
| 2008 | 8 | #13,042 | 5,723 | #80 |
| 2007 | 12 | #9,772 | 6,250 | #75 |
| 2006 | 12 | #9,517 | 6,154 | #80 |
| 2005 | 16 | #7,268 | 6,688 | #68 |
| 2004 | 24 | #5,268 | 6,507 | #69 |
| 2003 | 14 | #7,731 | 6,466 | #65 |
| 2002 | 8 | #11,501 | 6,360 | #67 |
| 2001 | 16 | #6,737 | 6,084 | #70 |
| 2000 | 6 | #13,795 | 5,886 | #73 |
| 1995 | 7 | #10,940 | 5,594 | #67 |
| 1990 | 30 | #3,556 | 5,460 | #70 |
| 1985 | 31 | #2,965 | 3,998 | #78 |
| 1980 | 19 | #4,043 | 2,909 | #104 |
| 1975 | 16 | #4,007 | 1,717 | #144 |
| 1970 | 5 | #8,448 | 1,116 | #222 |
| 1965 | 6 | #6,068 | 488 | #345 |
| 1960 | — | — | 242 | #511 |
| 1955 | — | — | 175 | #556 |
| 1950 | — | — | 123 | #622 |
| 1945 | — | — | 64 | #770 |
| 1940 | 5 | #4,637 | 56 | #844 |
| 1935 | — | — | 45 | #945 |
| 1930 | — | — | 45 | #1,029 |
| 1925 | — | — | 19 | #1,836 |
| 1920 | — | — | 10 | #2,862 |
| 1915 | — | — | 15 | #1,920 |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Ian
- Ian McKellen Actor · b. 1939
- Ian Fleming Writer · 1908–1964
- Ian Holm Actor · 1931–2020
- Ian McShane Actor · b. 1942
- Ian Gillan Singer · b. 1945
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Ian mean?
Borrowed from Scottish Gaelic Eòin.
How popular is the name Ian in 2025?
Ian ranked #83 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 3,924 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Ian?
258,479 babies have been named Ian in the United States since 1912, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Ian most popular?
Ian peaked in 2005, when 6,704 newborns received the name.
Is Ian a boy or girl name?
Ian is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Ian rising or falling?
Ian has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Ian?
Well-known people named Ian include Ian McKellen (actor), Ian Fleming (writer), Ian Holm (actor).