Ian

♀ Girl

Pronounced EE-un /ˈiː.ən/High

Meaning: The Scottish (Scottish Gaelic Iain) form of John, from the Hebrew for 'God is gracious.' Used here for a girl though it is strongly and overwhelmingly a boy's name.Medium

In 30 seconds: A Scottish form of John: Ian means 'God is gracious' (said 'EE-un'). Strongly a boy's name — we note the lean.

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Origin MediumScottish, Hebrew

MeaningThe Scottish (Scottish Gaelic Iain) form of John, from the Hebrew for 'God is gracious.' Used here for a girl though it is strongly and overwhelmingly a boy's name.

U.S. rank (2025)#11297 ↗ Rising

2025 U.S. births8 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1986

Total births (all-time)≈ 815

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Ian comes from the Scottish Gaelic Iain, a form of John, 'God is gracious.' It is a long-loved boys' name; its use for girls is very rare, and its strong boys' lean we note plainly — rare for girls in the U.S. (said 'EE-un').

For girls it appears very rarely, against overwhelming boys' use. Rare for girls, classic, and crisp.

Did you know? Ian is the Scottish form of John, from the Hebrew for 'God is gracious' — used here for a girl, though it is overwhelmingly a boy's name, which we note (said 'EE-un').

Overall data confidence 50%

References — Ian — Scottish form of John; strongly boy-leaning

Variations

IainIannaIana

Nicknames

EeAni

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Ian…

Iana— a feminine form built on Ian

Johanna— a like 'God is gracious' girls' name

Nia— a like short girls' name in sound

Ann— shares the -n ending

Ira— shares Ian's Hebrew roots

Explore names like Ian

By themeclassic cross-sex scottish lean-boy

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Ian mean?

Ian is the Scottish form of John, from Hebrew for 'God is gracious.'

How do you pronounce Ian?

It's said EE-un /ˈiː.ən/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Ian a boy or girl name?

Ian is strongly a boy's name; its use for girls is very rare — we note the lean.

How popular is Ian?

Ian is very rare for girls and common for boys in the U.S.