Ian is a distinctive choice, ranked #585 in 2025. Your child is likely to be the only Ian in their class.
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UK Rank 2025
#585
US Rank #83
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About the Name Ian
Ian is steadily gaining in popularity, up 63 places over the past five years. Its best recorded rank was #138 in 1996, and it currently sits at #535. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Ian is uncommon in the UK, so your child is very likely to be the only Ian in their class.
In the US it ranks even higher at #75, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
โญ Famous People Named Ian
Ian Kelly (actor) โ Ian Francis Kelly is a British writer and actor.
Ian Thomson (writer) โ Ian Thomson is an English author, best known for his biography Primo Levi, and reportage, The Dead Yard: Tales of Modern Jamaica.
Ian Astbury โ Ian Robert Astbury is a British singer, best known as the lead vocalist, frontman and a founding member of the rock band The Cult.
Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Ian
Unlikely. With around 66 UK babies named Ian per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Ian in their class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Ian has been fairly steady, ranked #585 in 2025 against #598 in 2020. Its best recorded position was #138 in 1996.
Ian is more popular in the US (#75) than in the UK (#535). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Ian include: Ian Kelly (actor), Ian Thomson (writer) and Ian Astbury. Short summaries for each appear below.
Ian ranks #75 in the US (2024), making it comfortably inside the American top 100. It's well-liked on both sides of the Atlantic.
66
UK babies named Ian (2025)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↑ 13 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Ian
Almost certainly the only Ian in the class
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UK Popularity (1996–2025)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2025)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Ian
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Ian Hunter may refer to: Ian Hunter (actor), South African-born British actor Ian Hunter (admiral), New Zealand naval officer Ian Hunter (artist), British artist and dean of Saint Martin's School of Art Ian Hunter (curator), Northern Irish artist and art curator Ian Hunter (cricketer), British cricketer Ian Hunter (impresario), British classical music and talent promoter Ian Hunter (politician), South Australian Labor Party politician Ian Hunter (rugby union), English rugby player and media marketer Ian Hunter (Scottish footballer) (fl.
Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, Baron Bannside, was a loyalist politician and Protestant religious leader from Northern Ireland who served as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) from 1971 to 2008 and First Minister of Northern Ireland from 2007 to 2008.