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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201998peak #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
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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 1998

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: #49 for boys · 21 births · 1 in 158 boysAKMaine: #48 for boys · 34 births · 1 in 167 boysMEVermont: #33 for boys · 24 births · 1 in 98 boysVTNew Hampshire: #45 for boys · 38 births · 1 in 159 boysNHWashington: #56 for boys · 155 births · 1 in 222 boysWAIdaho: #57 for boys · 37 births · 1 in 205 boysIDMontana: #46 for boys · 26 births · 1 in 154 boysMTNorth Dakota: #79 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 235 boysNDMinnesota: #65 for boys · 115 births · 1 in 248 boysMNIllinois: #67 for boys · 261 births · 1 in 308 boysILWisconsin: #68 for boys · 115 births · 1 in 252 boysWIMichigan: #60 for boys · 218 births · 1 in 274 boysMINew York: #74 for boys · 321 births · 1 in 359 boysNYMassachusetts: #64 for boys · 138 births · 1 in 266 boysMARhode Island: #62 for boys · 23 births · 1 in 234 boysRIOregon: #59 for boys · 89 births · 1 in 225 boysORNevada: #79 for boys · 37 births · 1 in 306 boysNVWyoming: #46 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 138 boysWYSouth Dakota: #83 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 265 boysSDIowa: #67 for boys · 66 births · 1 in 247 boysIAIndiana: #67 for boys · 138 births · 1 in 276 boysINOhio: #57 for boys · 302 births · 1 in 232 boysOHPennsylvania: #57 for boys · 267 births · 1 in 250 boysPANew Jersey: #68 for boys · 157 births · 1 in 310 boysNJConnecticut: #58 for boys · 84 births · 1 in 222 boysCTCalifornia: #98 for boys · 588 births · 1 in 414 boysCAUtah: #89 for boys · 57 births · 1 in 345 boysUTColorado: #64 for boys · 103 births · 1 in 254 boysCONebraska: #79 for boys · 36 births · 1 in 277 boysNEMissouri: #69 for boys · 133 births · 1 in 260 boysMOKentucky: #103 for boys · 50 births · 1 in 468 boysKYWest Virginia: #84 for boys · 28 births · 1 in 318 boysWVVirginia: #62 for boys · 137 births · 1 in 290 boysVAMaryland: #58 for boys · 107 births · 1 in 266 boysMDDelaware: #73 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 259 boysDEArizona: #121 for boys · 76 births · 1 in 458 boysAZNew Mexico: #83 for boys · 33 births · 1 in 327 boysNMKansas: #76 for boys · 56 births · 1 in 282 boysKSArkansas: #87 for boys · 41 births · 1 in 352 boysARTennessee: #90 for boys · 89 births · 1 in 405 boysTNNorth Carolina: #78 for boys · 135 births · 1 in 359 boysNCSouth Carolina: #67 for boys · 59 births · 1 in 348 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: #72 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 274 boysDCOklahoma: #120 for boys · 43 births · 1 in 480 boysOKLouisiana: #93 for boys · 68 births · 1 in 401 boysLAMississippi: #122 for boys · 27 births · 1 in 568 boysMSAlabama: #107 for boys · 50 births · 1 in 504 boysALGeorgia: #94 for boys · 118 births · 1 in 437 boysGAHawaii: #54 for boys · 24 births · 1 in 215 boysHITexas: #126 for boys · 306 births · 1 in 525 boysTXFlorida: #74 for boys · 246 births · 1 in 352 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Vermont#33 · 1 in 98
  2. New Hampshire#45 · 1 in 159
  3. Wyoming#46 · 1 in 138
  4. Montana#46 · 1 in 154
  5. Maine#48 · 1 in 167

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Vermont#33241 in 98
New Hampshire#45381 in 159
Montana#46261 in 154
Wyoming#46141 in 138
Maine#48341 in 167
Alaska#49211 in 158
Hawaii#54241 in 215
Washington#561551 in 222
Idaho#57371 in 205
Ohio#573021 in 232
Pennsylvania#572671 in 250
Connecticut#58841 in 222
Maryland#581071 in 266
Oregon#59891 in 225
Michigan#602181 in 274
Rhode Island#62231 in 234
Virginia#621371 in 290
Colorado#641031 in 254
Massachusetts#641381 in 266
Minnesota#651151 in 248
Illinois#672611 in 308
Indiana#671381 in 276
Iowa#67661 in 247
South Carolina#67591 in 348
New Jersey#681571 in 310
Wisconsin#681151 in 252
Missouri#691331 in 260
District of Columbia#72181 in 274
Delaware#73151 in 259
Florida#742461 in 352
New York#743211 in 359
Kansas#76561 in 282
North Carolina#781351 in 359
Nebraska#79361 in 277
Nevada#79371 in 306
North Dakota#79151 in 235
New Mexico#83331 in 327
South Dakota#83151 in 265
West Virginia#84281 in 318
Arkansas#87411 in 352
Utah#89571 in 345
Tennessee#90891 in 405
Louisiana#93681 in 401
Georgia#941181 in 437
California#985881 in 414
Kentucky#103501 in 468
Alabama#107501 in 504
Oklahoma#120431 in 480
Arizona#121761 in 458
Mississippi#122271 in 568
Texas#1263061 in 525

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 1998

girls
#7,532
12 births · 1 in 147,246 girls
boys
#73
5,353 births · 1 in 357 boys

Top girls' names in 1998

  1. #1Emily26,188
  2. #2Hannah21,376
  3. #3Samantha20,195
  4. #4Sarah19,898
  5. #5Ashley19,875
  6. #6Alexis19,778
  7. #7Taylor18,576
  8. #8Jessica18,239
  9. #9Madison17,787
  10. #10Elizabeth15,193
  11. #7,532Ian12

Top boys' names in 1998

  1. #1Michael36,618
  2. #2Jacob36,031
  3. #3Matthew31,146
  4. #4Joshua28,095
  5. #5Christopher27,007
  6. #6Nicholas26,632
  7. #7Brandon23,832
  8. #8Tyler23,712
  9. #9Andrew23,664
  10. #10Austin23,478
  11. #73Ian5,353
More about 1998

girls

1,766,949 girls got a published name in 1998; 1 in 147,246 of them was named Ian, which outranked 54.6% of the 16,601 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 11.2% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Ian
  1. #7,104Zitlaly13
  2. #7,104Zuleyka13
  3. #7,104Zurisadai13
  4. #7,532Ian12
  5. #7,532Aarti12
  6. #7,532Aashna12
  7. #7,532Abigial12
  8. #8,016Aariona11
  9. #8,016Abrina11
  10. #8,016Adasia11

Tied with 483 names at #7,532; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1997
Risers
  1. ↑ 2,123Calista#2,820 → #697
  2. ↑ 1,165Ireland#1,983 → #818
  3. ↑ 1,158Abril#2,116 → #958
  4. ↑ 755Mya#993 → #238
  5. ↑ 619Ally#1,036 → #417
Fallers
  1. ↓ 586Yulissa#424 → #1,010
  2. ↓ 462Moesha#943 → #1,405
  3. ↓ 397Yulisa#985 → #1,382
  4. ↓ 376Tonya#905 → #1,281
  5. ↓ 347Xena#765 → #1,112

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

boys

1,911,366 boys got a published name in 1998; 1 in 357 of them was named Ian, which outranked 99.4% of the 11,311 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 14.7% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Ian
  1. #70Jesse5,444
  2. #71Adrian5,429
  3. #72Dakota5,401
  4. #73Ian5,353
  5. #74Bryan5,309
  6. #75Luke5,284
  7. #76Jesus5,217
Biggest movers since 1997
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,736Tyrese#2,347 → #611
  2. ↑ 805Zion#1,499 → #694
  3. ↑ 785Mekhi#1,706 → #921
  4. ↑ 743Tyriq#1,519 → #776
  5. ↑ 741Tavian#1,599 → #858
Fallers
  1. ↓ 429Coty#918 → #1,347
  2. ↓ 367Anfernee#838 → #1,205
  3. ↓ 326Jessy#962 → #1,288
  4. ↓ 295Mickey#966 → #1,261
  5. ↓ 280Mikal#1,000 → #1,280

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

See the top 100 for 1998 →