Ian is a male name of English, Scottish Gaelic and Hebrew origin, which is derived from the Hebrew given name (Yohanan, ) and corresponds to the English name John. The spelling 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. In 1900, Ian ranked as the 180th most popular male baby name in England and Wales. , the name has been in the top 100 in the United States every year since 1982, peaking at 65 in 2003.
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.
In Korea, Ian is pronounced as 이안(I-an), and in Japan, Ian is pronounced as 偉杏, 伊庵, 一晏, etc.
Notable people named Ian
Given name
Ian (rapper) (born 2005), American rapper Ian Agol (born 1970), American mathematician Ian Alexander (disambiguation), multiple people Ian Anderson (born 1947), lead of the rock band Jethro Tull Ian Astbury (born 1962), singer of rock band The Cult Ian Bairnson (1953–2023), Scottish guitarist Ian Baker-Finch (born 1960), Australian golfer and 1991 British Open winner Ian Balding (1938–2026), British racehorse trainer Ian Bannen (1928–1999), British actor Ian Bazalgette (1918–1944), Canadian-British recipient of the Victoria Cross Ian Beausoleil-Morrison, American aerospace engineer Ian Bell (born 1982), English cricketer Ian Berry (disambiguation), multiple people Ian Black (disambiguation), multiple people Sir Ian Blair (1953–2025), British head of the Metropolitan Police Service Ian Bogost, American video game designer and academic Ian Bohen (born 1976), American actor Ian Bolton (born 1953), English footballer Ian Book (born 1998), American football player Sir Ian Botham (born 1955), English cricketer Ian Brady (Ian Duncan Stewart, 1938–2017), convicted for the Moors murders in England in the 1960s Ian Bremmer (born 1969), political scientist, author, entrepreneur Ian Broudie (born 1958), English singer in The Lightning Seeds, and music producer Ian Brown (born 1963), singer and lyricist in The Stone Roses Ian Bunting (born 1996), American football player Ian Calderon (born 1985), American politician Ian Callaghan (born 1942), English footballer Ian Callum (born 1954), British design director for Jaguar Ian Cameron (disambiguation), multiple people Ian Carmichael (1920–2010), English actor Ian S. E. Carmichael (1930–2011), American volcanologist Ian Carroll (born 2000), American ethical hacker and security researcher Ian "iDubbbz" Carter (born 1990), American YouTube personality Ian Chan (born 1993), Hong Kong singer-songwriter and actor Ian Brackenbury Channell, birth name of The Wizard of New Zealand (born 1932), educator, comedian, magician, and politician Ian Chappell (born 1943), Australian cricketer Ian Charleson (1949–1990), Scottish/British actor Ian Clark (disambiguation), multiple people Ian Clyde (born 1956), Canadian boxer Ian Cole (born 1989), American hockey player Ian Collier (1943–2008), singer and actor Ian Colquhoun, New Zealand cricketer Ian Colquhoun (author), Scottish actor and writer Ian Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people Ian James Corlett (born 1962), cartoon writer and voice actor, creator of Being Ian Ian Crocker (born 1982), swimmer Ian Curteis (1935–2021), English television writer Ian Curtis (1956–1980), singer and lyricist in Joy Division Ian Dalrymple (1903–1989), British filmmaker Ian Danskin, American YouTuber Ian Davidson (disambiguation), multiple people Ian Davis (disambiguation), multiple people Ian Desmond (born 1985), American Major League Baseball shortstop
Ian D. Reid, computer scientist Ian Stuart Donaldson (1957–1993), English vocalist and frontman of British neo-Nazi band Skrewdriver Ian Dunn (activist) (1943–1998), Scottish gay and paedophile rights activist Ian Dunn (rugby union) (born 1960), New Zealand rugby union player Ian Dury (1942–2000), British singer and songwriter Ian Eagle (born 1969), American sports announcer Ian Edmond (born 1978), British swimmer Ian Erix, American singer-songwriter Ian Escobar (born 1996), Argentine footballer Ian Falconer (1959–2023), American author and illustrator Ian Ferguson (disambiguation), multiple people Ian Flanagan (born 1982), Welsh tennis player Ian Fleming (1908–1964), British novelist, creator of James Bond Ian Flynn (born 1982), American comic book writer Ian Forrest (born 1950), British racing driver Ian Frazier (born 1951), American writer and humorist Ian Froman (1937–2024), South African-born Israeli tennis player and tennis patron Ian George (artist) (1953–2016), Cook Islands artist Ian Gibbons (musician) (1952–2019), English keyboardist, member of The Kinks Ian Gibson (disambiguation), multiple people Ian Gillan (born 1945), English lead singer of hard rock band Deep Purple Ian Glavinovich (born 2001), Argentine footballer Ian Gleed (1916–1943), English Royal Air Force flying ace and one of the Few Ian Gold (born 1978), American football player Ian Gomm (born 1947), British guitarist and singer Ian Goodfellow (born 1987), Director of Machine Learning in the Special Projects Group at Apple computer Ian Gow (1937–1990), British Member of Parliament assassinated by IRA terrorists
Ian Greig (born 1955), English cricketer, brother of Tony Greig Ian Grist (1938–2002), British politician Ian Gunther (born 1999), American gymnastics creator Ian Hall (musician) (1940–2022), Guyanese-born British musician and composer Ian Hallard (born 1974), British actor Ian Hamilton (disambiguation), multiple people Ian Hanlin, Canadian voice actor Ian Hanomansing, Canadian journalist and news anchor Ian Harding (born 1986), American actor Ian Harrison (sailor) (1937–2016), British Paralympic sailor Ian Hart (born 1964), English actor Ian Haugland (born 1964 as Jan-Håkan Haugland), Norwegian-born Swedish drummer for the band Europe Ian Healy (born 1964), Australian wicket-keeper Ian Hecox (born 1987), American comedian with Smosh Ian Henderson (footballer) (born 1985), English footballer Ian Henderson (news presenter) (born 1953), Australian news presenter Ian Henderson (police officer) (1927–2013), former head of secret police in Bahrain, accused of torture Ian Henderson (rugby league) (born 1983), Scottish rugby hooker who plays in Australia Ian Hennessy (born 1967), Irish soccer player Ian Hicks (disambiguation), multiple people Ian Hill (born 1951), bassist for metal band Judas Priest Ian Hislop (born 1960), British satirist and editor of Private Eye Ian Ho (born 1997), Hong Kong freestyle swimmer Sir Ian Holm (1931–2020), British actor Ian Holmes (footballer, born 1950) Ian Holmes (runner) (born 1965), English runner Ian Holmes (footballer, born 1985) Ian Hornak (1944–2002), painter Ian Hunter (actor) (1900–1975), English actor Ian Hunter (singer) (born 1939), English singer of Mott the Hoople Ian McLellan Hunter (1915–1991), English screenwriter Ian Huntley (1974–2026), double murderer Ian Jacobs (oncologist) (born 1957), English academic, gynaecological oncologist, gynaecologist/obstetrician Ian Jacobs, Australian kickboxer and 3-time World Kickboxing Champion Ian James (athlete) (born 1963), Olympic athlete Ian Jones-Quartey (born 1984), animator Ian Joyce (born 1985), American soccer player Ian Kahn (born 1972), American actor Ian Karmel (born 1984), American stand-up comedian and writer Ian Keith (1899–1960), American actor Ian Kennedy (born 1984), Major League Baseball pitcher Ian Kennelly (born 2001), American football player Ian Kershaw (born 1943), English historian Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister (1945–2015), singer/bass player in Motörhead Ian Kinsler (born 1982), Israeli-American Major League Baseball All Star second baseman Ian "Vaush" Kochinski (born 1994), American YouTuber and livestreamer Ian Koziara, American operatic tenor Ian Krankie (born 1947), Scottish entertainer Ian La Frenais (born 1937), English writer Ian Laperrière (born 1974), Canadian-American hockey player Ian Lavender (1946–2024), English actor Ian Law (born 1938), Australian rules footballer Ian Levy (born 1966), British Conservative MP for Blyth Valley since 2019 Ian Hideo Levy (born 1950), American author Ian Oswald Liddell (1919–1945), recipient of the Victoria Cross Ian Livingstone (born 1949), author Ian Lorimer, British television director Ian Lucas (born 1960), British politician Ian MacArthur (1925–2007), British politician Ian MacDonald (1948–2003), English author Ian Macdonald (barrister) (1939–2019) Ian MacKaye (born 1962), musician Ian Mahinmi (born 1986), basketball player Ian Malcolm (politician) (1868–1944), Member of Parliament (1910–1919) Ian Martin (disambiguation), multiple people Ian Matos (1989–2021), Brazilian diver Ian Matthews (drummer) (born 1971), drummer for Kasabian Ian Maxtone-Graham (born 1959), television writer and producer Ian McAteer (born 1961), former gangster from Glasgow Ian McCaskill (1938–2016), weather forecaster Ian McCulloch (actor) (born 1939), actor Ian McCulloch (singer) (born 1959), British singer in the band Echo & the Bunnymen Ian McCulloch (snooker player) (born 1971), snooker player Ian McDiarmid (born 1944), Scottish actor Ian McDonald (musician) (1946–2022), British musician, best known for being a member of both King Crimson and Foreigner Ian McDougall (disambiguation), multiple people Ian McEwan (born 1948), English novelist and screenwriter Ian McKay (1953–1982), English recipient of the Victoria Cross Sir Ian McKellen (born 1939), English actor Ian McLagan (1945–2014), English musician, best known for being a member of both Small Faces and Faces Ian McMillan (footballer) (1931–2024), Scottish footballer Ian McMillan (poet) (born 1956)
Ian McShane (born 1942), actor Ian Messiter (1920–1999), English creator of Just a Minute Ian Miles (1952–2025), Australian rules footballer Ian Monk (1960–2025), British writer and translator Ian Moran (cricketer) (born 1979), Australian cricketer Ian Moran (born 1972), American hockey player Ian Morris (cricketer) (born 1946), Welsh cricketer Ian Morris (musician) (1957–2010), New Zealand musician Ian Morris (historian) (born 1960), British historian Ian Morris (athlete) (born 1961), Trinidadian athlete Ian Morris (footballer) (born 1987), Irish footballer Ian Morrison (journalist) (1913–1950), Australian journalist Ian Morrison (RNZAF officer) (1914–1997), senior officer of the Royal New Zealand Air Force Ian "Scotty" Morrison (born 1930), former National Hockey League referee and vice president Ian Morrison (footballer) (born 1954), Australian rules footballer Sir Ian Morrow (1912–2006), British accountant and politician Ian Morton (born 1970), English cricketer Ian Mosley (born 1953), drummer for Marillion Ian Moss (born 1955), Australian musician, Cold Chisel Ian Murdock (1973–2015), computer professional, creator of the Debian project Ian Nepomniachtchi (born 1990), Russian chess grandmaster Ian Ormondroyd, English footballer Ian O'Brien (born 1947), swimmer Ian O'Neill Smith (born 2005), rapper known as ian Ian Paice (born 1948), drummer of Deep Purple Ian Paisley (1926–2014), Protestant politician Ian Parker (keyboardist) (born 1953) Ian Parker (psychologist) (born 1956) Ian Parker (singer-songwriter) (born 1976) Ian Parker (Canadian pianist) (born 1978) Ian Patterson (disambiguation), multiple people Ian Pearson (badminton) (born 1974), English badminton player Ian Peck (born 1957), English cricketer Ian Pinard, Dominican politician