Ian

#10,917 for girls in 2025, 8 births · #83 for boys in 2025, 3,924 births
Given to boys 99.7% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
2003 · 6,466 births
Debut · boys
6 births
In top 100 · boys
44 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · boys
257,664
since 1912

Ian over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201985peak #65, 2003boys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#10,9178#833,924
2024#11,1228#744,560
2023#9,61610#694,555
2022#11,2318#724,505
2021#12,2067#814,302
2020#8,40612#834,267
2019#12,4487#814,551
2018#13,7936#794,706
2017#9,94310#765,033
2016#10,8599#785,079
2015#8,44713#765,332
2014#14,5586#775,461
2013—#805,434
2012#11,2579#785,696
2011#8,19614#725,620
2010—#725,563
2009#17,2945#735,807
2008#12,5798#805,723
2007#9,53912#756,250
2006#9,28612#806,154
2005#7,13816#686,688
2004#5,20824#696,507
2003#7,58014#656,466
2002#11,1088#676,360
2001#6,61916#706,084
2000#13,1546#735,886
1999#7,71612#725,450
1998#7,53212#735,353
1997#10,8367#705,211
1996#5,77116#705,411
1995#10,5147#675,594
1994#10,5697#745,267
1993#4,99819#705,399
1992#8,06510#685,536
1991#3,93626#735,326
1990#3,52330#705,460
1989#3,47729#684,948
1988#3,03933#774,315
1987#4,12220#813,924
1986#2,72435#853,713
1985#2,93931#783,998
1984#2,91530#783,796
1983#3,34024#773,665
1982#3,01729#833,574
1981#5,57112#1012,928
1980#3,99219#1042,909
1979#4,62615#1072,554
1978#4,07917#1172,172
1977#4,65214#1192,287
1976#3,28721#1351,936
1975#3,95016#1441,717
1974#3,69517#1481,653
1973#5,19110#1801,302
1972#4,52312#1891,248
1971#6,0068#2021,201
1970#7,9955#2221,116
1969#7,4715#253828
1968#5,1478#276716
1967—#260771
1966—#297620
1965#5,8176#345488
1964—#383429
1963—#423360
1962—#473281
1961—#510242
1960—#510242
1959—#542208
1958—#537205
1957—#531213
1956—#539194
1955—#555175
1954—#558171
1953—#569157
1952—#640120
1951—#682104
1950—#621123
1949—#678102
1948—#71787
1947—#656111
1946—#70485
1945—#76764
1944—#75468
1943—#82464
1942—#71880
1941—#79862
1940#4,3495#84156
1939—#77661
1938—#89749
1937—#86950
1936—#92444
1935—#94045
1934—#1,00741
1933—#1,28127
1932—#1,05640
1931—#1,01543
1930—#1,02145
1929—#1,27231
1928—#1,11140
1927—#1,43627
1926—#1,51524
1925—#1,80619
1924—#1,41428
1923—#1,64422
1922—#3,0149
1921—#2,15215
1920—#2,76510
1919—#2,8779
1918—#2,54311
1917—#1,69319
1916—#1,94915
1915—#1,87815
1914—#2,10110
1913—#2,2737
1912—#2,2696
1911——
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1909——
1908——
1907——
1906——
1905——
1904——
1903——
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1900——
1899——
1898——
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1896——
1895——
1894——
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1891——
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1889——
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1886——
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1880——
First appearance
1912

The first year at least five boys were named Ian! It came in at #2,269, and was given to 6 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 1912–1913, when fewer than 8 boys a year got the name.

Where Ian is popular in 1985

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: #63 for boys · 20 births · 1 in 252 boysAKMaine: #54 for boys · 39 births · 1 in 185 boysMEVermont: #44 for boys · 25 births · 1 in 133 boysVTNew Hampshire: #56 for boys · 33 births · 1 in 208 boysNHWashington: #64 for boys · 111 births · 1 in 284 boysWAIdaho: #91 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 402 boysIDMontana: #66 for boys · 21 births · 1 in 264 boysMTNorth Dakota: #87 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 394 boysNDMinnesota: #76 for boys · 76 births · 1 in 416 boysMNIllinois: #83 for boys · 168 births · 1 in 490 boysILWisconsin: #78 for boys · 78 births · 1 in 438 boysWIMichigan: #79 for boys · 157 births · 1 in 415 boysMINew York: #67 for boys · 316 births · 1 in 383 boysNYMassachusetts: #59 for boys · 137 births · 1 in 286 boysMARhode Island: #72 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 372 boysRIOregon: #52 for boys · 87 births · 1 in 209 boysORNevada: #93 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 476 boysNVWyoming: #80 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 346 boysWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Ian, so not publishedSDIowa: #80 for boys · 49 births · 1 in 395 boysIAIndiana: #82 for boys · 81 births · 1 in 465 boysINOhio: #73 for boys · 199 births · 1 in 387 boysOHPennsylvania: #64 for boys · 269 births · 1 in 286 boysPANew Jersey: #62 for boys · 142 births · 1 in 328 boysNJConnecticut: #58 for boys · 63 births · 1 in 317 boysCTCalifornia: #85 for boys · 540 births · 1 in 414 boysCAUtah: #76 for boys · 53 births · 1 in 321 boysUTColorado: #63 for boys · 83 births · 1 in 303 boysCONebraska: #74 for boys · 36 births · 1 in 326 boysNEMissouri: #99 for boys · 60 births · 1 in 615 boysMOKentucky: #134 for boys · 26 births · 1 in 955 boysKYWest Virginia: #86 for boys · 25 births · 1 in 463 boysWVVirginia: #72 for boys · 90 births · 1 in 420 boysVAMaryland: #75 for boys · 67 births · 1 in 414 boysMDDelaware: #71 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 402 boysDEArizona: #75 for boys · 72 births · 1 in 367 boysAZNew Mexico: #80 for boys · 31 births · 1 in 375 boysNMKansas: #80 for boys · 45 births · 1 in 385 boysKSArkansas: #159 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 1,017 boysARTennessee: #137 for boys · 38 births · 1 in 848 boysTNNorth Carolina: #111 for boys · 59 births · 1 in 687 boysNCSouth Carolina: #145 for boys · 26 births · 1 in 822 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: #82 for boys · 20 births · 1 in 386 boysDCOklahoma: #108 for boys · 40 births · 1 in 590 boysOKLouisiana: #118 for boys · 60 births · 1 in 597 boysLAMississippi: #260 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 1,737 boysMSAlabama: #182 for boys · 24 births · 1 in 1,065 boysALGeorgia: #167 for boys · 43 births · 1 in 1,004 boysGAHawaii: #46 for boys · 42 births · 1 in 163 boysHITexas: #174 for boys · 167 births · 1 in 881 boysTXFlorida: #79 for boys · 170 births · 1 in 439 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Vermont#44 · 1 in 133
  2. Hawaii#46 · 1 in 163
  3. Oregon#52 · 1 in 209
  4. Maine#54 · 1 in 185
  5. New Hampshire#56 · 1 in 208

Best ever in a state: #25 in Vermont, 1994.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Vermont#44251 in 133
Hawaii#46421 in 163
Oregon#52871 in 209
Maine#54391 in 185
New Hampshire#56331 in 208
Connecticut#58631 in 317
Massachusetts#591371 in 286
New Jersey#621421 in 328
Alaska#63201 in 252
Colorado#63831 in 303
Pennsylvania#642691 in 286
Washington#641111 in 284
Montana#66211 in 264
New York#673161 in 383
Delaware#71101 in 402
Rhode Island#72161 in 372
Virginia#72901 in 420
Ohio#731991 in 387
Nebraska#74361 in 326
Arizona#75721 in 367
Maryland#75671 in 414
Minnesota#76761 in 416
Utah#76531 in 321
Wisconsin#78781 in 438
Florida#791701 in 439
Michigan#791571 in 415
Iowa#80491 in 395
Kansas#80451 in 385
New Mexico#80311 in 375
Wyoming#80101 in 346
District of Columbia#82201 in 386
Indiana#82811 in 465
Illinois#831681 in 490
California#855401 in 414
West Virginia#86251 in 463
North Dakota#87141 in 394
Idaho#91181 in 402
Nevada#93131 in 476
Missouri#99601 in 615
Oklahoma#108401 in 590
North Carolina#111591 in 687
Louisiana#118601 in 597
Kentucky#134261 in 955
Tennessee#137381 in 848
South Carolina#145261 in 822
Arkansas#159151 in 1,017
Georgia#167431 in 1,004
Texas#1741671 in 881
Alabama#182241 in 1,065
Mississippi#260101 in 1,737
South Dakota———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Ian
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
  • 9 spots since 2024 (#74 → #83)
  • Same as 2020 (#83)
  • 7 spots since 2015 (#76 → #83)
  • Biggest jump: 121 spots in 1939 (#897 → #776)
  • Biggest drop: 106 spots in 1943 (#718 → #824)
Rise & fade · boys
91 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1912
  • Peaked 2003 at #65 (6,466 births)
  • Not yet halved from its peak
Top of the charts · boys
Top 100 for 44 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 44 yrs · run 1982–2025
  • Top 1,000: 91 yrs · run 1935–2025
Share of babies · boys
1 in 299
  • Highest: 1 in 299 boys born in 2005 were named Ian (0.33%)
  • Latest: 1 in 435 boys born in 2025 (0.23%)
  • Its best rank, #65 in 2003, was only 1 in 305 (0.33%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · boys
The 2000s
  • 24.0% of all boys named Ian (61,925) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1910s92#1,693 (1917)#2,198
1920s225#1,111 (1928)#1,813
1930s445#776 (1939)#979
1940s779#656 (1947)#746
1950s1,670#531 (1957)#577
1960s4,977#253 (1969)#373
1970s17,186#107 (1979)#156
1980s37,770#68 (1989)#83
1990s54,007#67 (1995)#71
2000s61,925#65 (2003)#72
2010s52,475#72 (2011)#77
2020s26,113#69 (2023)#77

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Ian in 1985

girls
#2,939
31 births · 1 in 55,511 girls
boys
#78
3,998 births · 1 in 462 boys

Top girls' names in 1985

  1. #1Jessica48,345
  2. #2Ashley47,010
  3. #3Jennifer42,661
  4. #4Amanda39,055
  5. #5Sarah24,879
  6. #6Stephanie23,243
  7. #7Nicole22,966
  8. #8Heather21,151
  9. #9Elizabeth20,545
  10. #10Megan20,013
  11. #2,939Ian31

Top boys' names in 1985

  1. #1Michael64,934
  2. #2Christopher59,609
  3. #3Matthew47,075
  4. #4Joshua42,194
  5. #5Daniel38,559
  6. #6David38,522
  7. #7James35,862
  8. #8Robert32,094
  9. #9John31,502
  10. #10Joseph30,222
  11. #78Ian3,998
More about 1985

girls

1,720,828 girls got a published name in 1985; 1 in 55,511 of them was named Ian, which outranked 76.5% of the 12,505 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 18.0% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Ian
  1. #2,860Yocheved32
  2. #2,860Zenobia32
  3. #2,860Zoila32
  4. #2,939Ian31
  5. #2,939Adena31
  6. #2,939Amada31
  7. #2,939Ambre31
  8. #3,008Abra30
  9. #3,008Adelaide30
  10. #3,008Allisa30

Tied with 68 names at #2,939; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1984
Risers
  1. ↑ 7,360Kayleigh#8,153 → #793
  2. ↑ 1,675Madison#2,299 → #624
  3. ↑ 1,167Cierra#1,633 → #466
  4. ↑ 1,002Ciera#1,703 → #701
  5. ↑ 787Krystina#1,332 → #545
Fallers
  1. ↓ 1,164Grisel#784 → #1,948
  2. ↓ 893Ciji#963 → #1,856
  3. ↓ 419Falon#914 → #1,333
  4. ↓ 364Alesia#969 → #1,333
  5. ↓ 362Echo#845 → #1,207

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,848,210 boys got a published name in 1985; 1 in 462 of them was named Ian, which outranked 99.0% of the 7,586 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 22.8% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Ian
  1. #75Raymond4,085
  2. #76Douglas4,021
  3. #77Nathaniel4,004
  4. #78Ian3,998
  5. #79Craig3,952
  6. #80Alex3,909
  7. #81Cory3,868
Biggest movers since 1984
Risers
  1. ↑ 2,425Jaymes#3,270 → #845
  2. ↑ 977Trace#1,933 → #956
  3. ↑ 933Durrell#1,656 → #723
  4. ↑ 793Durell#1,399 → #606
  5. ↑ 562Brandyn#1,444 → #882
Fallers
  1. ↓ 420Anwar#951 → #1,371
  2. ↓ 345Zebulon#976 → #1,321
  3. ↓ 303Tavares#925 → #1,228
  4. ↓ 250Alonso#931 → #1,181
  5. ↓ 228Abdul#1,000 → #1,228

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1985 →