Ian

This article is about a given name. For other uses, see Ian (disambiguation).
Ian
Pronunciation/ˈiːən/ EE-ən
Scottish Gaelic: [ˈiaɲ][1]
GenderMale
Origin
Word/nameScottish Gaelic, from Hebrew Yohanan
Other names
Related namesJohn, Evan, Eoin, Giovanni, Hans, Juan, Hovhannes, Ioan, Ioane, Ivan, Iven, Ifan, Jack, Jackson, Jan, Jane, Janez, Jean, Jhon, Joan, João, Johan/Johann, Johanan, Johannes, Jonne, Jovan, Juhani, Sean, Shane, Siôn, Yann, Yahya, Yohannes

Ian or Iain is a name of Scottish Gaelic origin, which is derived from the Hebrew given name יוֹחָנָן‎ (Yohanan, Yôḥānān) and corresponds to the English name John. The spelling Ian is an Anglicization of the Scottish Gaelic forename Iain. This name is a popular name in Scotland, where it originated, as well as in other English-speaking countries.

The name has fallen out of the top 100 male baby names in the United Kingdom, having peaked in popularity as one of the top 10 names throughout the 1960s.[2] In 1900, Ian ranked as the 180th most popular male baby name in England and Wales.[3] As of 2019, the name has been in the top 100 in the United States every year since 1982, peaking at 65 in 2003.[4]

Other Gaelic forms of the name "John" include "Seonaidh" ("Johnny" from Lowland Scots), "Seon" (from English), "Seathan", and "Seán" and "Eoin" (from Irish). The Welsh equivalent is Ioan, the Cornish counterpart is Yowan and the Breton equivalent is Yann.

  1. ^ "Dictionary Detail – Iain". www.faclair.com. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  2. ^ "Name: Ian". BabyNames.co.uk. Baby Names UK. Retrieved 2015-01-01.
  3. ^ "Top 200 Most Popular Names in England and Wales in 1900". British Baby Names. 21 August 2012. Retrieved 2015-01-01.
  4. ^ "Popular Baby Names". Social Security Administration. Archived from the original on 2018-02-02. Retrieved 2020-04-24.