Biography

Ian or Iain is a name of Scottish Gaelic origin, ultimately derived from Hebrew Yohanan and corresponding to English John. The spelling Ian is an Anglicization of the Scottish Gaelic forename Iain. It is a very popular name in much of the English-speaking world and especially in Scotland, where it originated. The name has now fallen out of the top 100 male baby names in the UK, having peaked in popularity as one of the top 10 names throughout the 1960s, while remaining roughly constant in popularity in the USA. Back in 1900, Ian was the 180th most popular male baby name in England and Wales. Other Gaelic forms of "John" include "Seonaidh" ("Johnny" from Lowland Scots), "Seon" (from English), "Seathan", and "Seán" and "Eoin" (from Irish). Its Welsh counterpart is Ioan and Breton equivalent is Yann.