The Baby Name Wizard

Reader Contributions

Contribute to, or edit, this collection of community wisdom on the name Ian!

Comments and insights on the name Ian: | Edit

We used a Gaelic variation for our son's name: Iain. I love how it looks, and it enforces the 2-syllable pronunciation. We've been happy with the choice. Although we do have to spell it out for people, I think these days you have to spell out almost every name anyway.

He get "eye-on" a lot.

I've heard "eye-in" or "in" more times than I can count.
If not understood properly the first time, I've had people call him "eden".

Personal experiences with the name Ian: | Edit

It sounds great with Scottish / Irish surnames.

I named my son Ian after my uncle, who used "Ian" as his pseudo name in his written work. I have issues with my hispanic, non-english speaking family pronouncing it. They OVERpronounce the name. It almost sounds like "EEEEEE-ANG"!

Nicknames for Ian: | Edit

"E", E-E, I ain't, Big-E, Ham*

*When attempting to text "Ian" with a number pad on a cell phone, auto complete systems regularly suggest "Ham".

Meanings and history of the name Ian: | Edit

Ian is a modern Scottish form of the name John. It was not used in Scotland until the late nineteenth century, though it has since become quite popular throughout the English-speaking world.

Many Armenian surnames end in -ian (such as Kardashian), as "ian" (or "yan") means "son of" in Armenian.

Famous real-life people named Ian: | Edit

Ian Ziering (pronounced with a long I) - Steve on the 90's hit Beverly Hills 90210
Ian Fleming - Author of James Bond and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Sir Ian McKellan, actor
Ian Wilmut - English embryologist, best known for cloning Dolly the sheep
Ian Donald Calvin Euclid Zappa - Birth name of musician, Dweezil Zappa
Ian Anderson - Head of rock band Jethro Tull
Ian Astbury - Singer of rock band The Cult
Ian Bairnson - Guitar player of The Alan Parsons Project and Pilot
Ian Gillan - Lead singer of the hard rock band Deep Purple.
Ian Hicks - Chicago DJ and electronic musician
Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister - Singer/Bass player in Motörhead
Michael Ian Black - He is often credited by his full name, American comedian
Ian McEwan - British author of "Atonement"
Ian Somerhalder- actor from the series "Vampire Diaries"

Corey Ian Haim

Ian in song, story & screen: | Edit

Ian Bedlow- Main Character in Anne Tyler's Saint Maybe
Ian Malcolm- mathematician in the "Jurassic Park" films and novels
Ian Miller- Toula's non-Greek fiance in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"
Ian Campbell - The Onion's Fields by Joseph Wambaugh
Ian - from 2007 film Alvin and the Chipmunks
Ian Howe - an antagonist in National Treasure
Ian McKinley - from the movie Final Destination 3
Ian Raymond - Laura's boyfriend in the novel and film, High Fidelity
Ian - from Shane Jiraiya Cummings' short story, "Ian". (Every male character who the protagonist meets is called Ian.)
Ian O'Shea- From Meyer's "The Host"