Ian or Iain is a name of

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic (, ; Endonym and exonym, endonym: ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic, is a Celtic language native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a member of the Goidelic language, Goidelic branch of Celtic, Scottish Gaelic, alongs ...

origin, which is derived from the

Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a f ...

(

Yohanan Yohanan ('), sometimes transcribed as Johanan, is a Hebrew male given name that can also appear in the longer form of ('), meaning "YHWH is gracious". The name is ancient, recorded as the name of Johanan, high priest of the Second Temple around ...

, ') and corresponds to the English name

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

. The spelling Ian is an Anglicization of the Scottish Gaelic forename ''Iain''. This name is a popular name in

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

, where it originated, as well as in other English-speaking countries. The name has fallen out of the top 100 male baby names in the United Kingdom, having peaked in popularity as one of the top 10 names throughout the 1960s. In 1900, Ian ranked as the 180th most popular male baby name in England and Wales. , the name has been in the top 100 in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

every year since 1982, peaking at 65 in 2003. Other Gaelic forms of the name "John" include " Seonaidh" ("Johnny" from Lowland Scots), "Seon" (from English), "Seathan", and "Seán" and "

Eoin Eoin () is a masculine Irish-language given name. The Scottish Gaelic equivalent is Eòin () and both are closely related to the Welsh language, Welsh . It is also cognate with the Irish and English John (given name), John. In the Irish language, ...

" (from Irish). The Welsh equivalent is

Ioan Ioan is a variation on the name John (first name), John found in Aromanian language, Aromanian, Romanian language, Romanian, Bulgarian language, Bulgarian, Russian language, Russian, Welsh language, Welsh (), and Sardinian language, Sardinian. It ...

, the Cornish counterpart is Yowan and the Breton equivalent is

Yann Yann is a French unisex given name, specifically, the Breton form of "Jean" (French for " John"). Notable persons with the name Yann include: __NOTOC__ In arts and entertainment * Yann Martel (born 1963), Canadian author * Yann Moix (born 1968 ...

Notable people named Ian

Given name

* Ian Agol (born 1970), American mathematician * Ian Alexander (disambiguation), multiple people * Ian Anderson (musician) (born 1947), lead of rock band Jethro Tull *

Ian Astbury Ian Robert Astbury (born 14 May 1962) is an English singer, best known as the lead vocalist, frontman and a founding member of the rock band the Cult. During various hiatuses from the Cult, Astbury fronted the short-lived band Holy Barbarians ( ...

(born 1962), singer of rock band

The Cult The Cult are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Bradford in 1983. Before settling on their current name in January 1984, the band had performed under the name Death Cult, which was an evolution of the name of lead vocalist Ian Astbury ...

Ian Bairnson John "Ian" Bairnson (3 August 1953 – 7 April 2023) was a Scottish musician and member of Pilot and the Alan Parsons Project. He was a multi-instrumentalist, who played saxophone and keyboards, but mainly performed as a guitarist, which he pl ...

(1953–2023), Scottish guitarist of

The Alan Parsons Project The Alan Parsons Project was a British rock music, rock duo formed in London in 1975. Its core membership consisted of producer, audio engineer, musician and composer Alan Parsons, and singer, songwriter and pianist Eric Woolfson. They shared w ...

and

Pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...

Ian Baker-Finch Ian Michael Baker-Finch (born 24 October 1960) is an Australian golfer and sports commentator best known for winning The Open Championship in 1991. Early life Baker-Finch was born in Nambour, Queensland, Australia. He grew up in the same Queens ...

(born 1960), Australian golfer and 1991 British Open winner *

Ian Bannen Ian Edmund Bannen (29 June 1928 – 3 November 1999) was a Scottish actor with a long film, stage and TV career. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Academy Award for his performance in ''The Flight of the Phoenix ( ...

(1928–1999), British actor * Ian Bazalgette (1918–1944), Canadian-British recipient of the Victoria Cross * Ian Beausoleil-Morrison, American aerospace engineer *

Ian Bell Ian Ronald Bell (born 11 April 1982) is an English former cricketer who played international cricket in all formats for the England cricket team and county cricket for Warwickshire County Cricket Club. A right-handed higher/middle order batsm ...

(born 1982), English cricketer * Ian Berry (disambiguation), multiple people * Ian Black (disambiguation), multiple people *Sir Ian Blair (born 1953), British former head of the Metropolitan Police Service *

Ian Bogost Ian Bogost is an American academic and video game designer, most known for the game '' Cow Clicker''. He holds a joint professorship at Washington University as director and professor of the Film and Media Studies program in Arts & Sciences a ...

, American video game designer and academic * Ian Bohen (born 1976), American actor * Ian Bolton (born 1953), English footballer *

Ian Book Ian M. Book (born March 30, 1998) is an American professional football quarterback. He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish where his .903 winning percentage (30–3) is second in school history to three-time national cham ...

(born 1998), American football player *Sir Ian Botham (born 1955), English cricketer *Ian Brady (Ian Duncan Stewart, 1938–2017), convicted for the

Moors murders The Moors murders were a serial killer, series of child murder, child killings committed by Ian Brady and Myra Hindley in and around Manchester, England, between July 1963 and October 1965. The victims were five children—Pauline Reade, John Ki ...

in England in the 1960s *

Ian Bremmer Ian Arthur Bremmer (born November 12, 1969) is an American political scientist, author, and entrepreneur focused on global political risk. He is the founder and president of Eurasia Group, a political risk research and consulting firm. He is al ...

(born 1969), political scientist, author, entrepreneur * Ian Broudie (born 1958), English singer in

The Lightning Seeds The Lightning Seeds (also known as Lightning Seeds) are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1989 by Ian Broudie (vocals, guitar, producer), formerly of the bands Big in Japan (band), Big in Japan, Care (band), Care, and Ori ...

, and music producer *

Ian Brown Ian George Brown (born 20 February 1963) is an English musician. He was the lead singer and the only continuous member of the alternative rock band the Stone Roses from their formation in 1983. Following the band's initial split in 1996, he be ...

(born 1963), singer and lyricist in

The Stone Roses The Stone Roses were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1983. They were one of the pioneering groups of the Madchester movement in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The band's classic and most prominent lineup consisted of vocalist I ...

* Ian Bunting (born 1996), American football player * Ian Callaghan (born 1942), English footballer *

Ian Callum Ian Stuart Callum (born 30 July 1954) is a British car designer who has worked for Ford Motor Company, Ford, Tom Walkinshaw Racing, TWR, and Aston Martin. In 1999 he became the Director of design for Jaguar Cars, later Jaguar Land Rover, a pos ...

(born 1954), British design director for Jaguar * Ian Cameron (disambiguation), multiple people *

Ian Carmichael Ian Gillett Carmichael, (18 June 1920 – 5 February 2010) was an English actor who Ian Carmichael on stage, screen and radio, worked prolifically on stage, screen and radio in a career that spanned seventy years. Born in Kingston upon ...

(1920–2010), English actor * Ian S. E. Carmichael (1930–2011), American volcanologist * Ian "iDubbbz" Carter (born 1990), American YouTube personality * Ian Chan (born 1993), Hong Kong singer-songwriter and actor *Ian Brackenbury Channell, birth name of The Wizard of New Zealand (born 1932), educator, comedian, magician, and politician *

Ian Chappell Ian Michael Chappell (born 26 September 1943) is a former cricketer who played for South Australia and Australia. Known as "Chappelli", he is considered as one of the greatest captains the game has seen.

(born 1943), Australian cricketer *

Ian Charleson Ian Charleson (11 August 1949 – 6 January 1990) was a Scottish stage and film actor. He is best known internationally for his starring role as Olympic athlete and missionary Eric Liddell in the Academy Award, Oscar-winning 1981 film ''Chariots ...

(1949–1990), Scottish/British actor * Ian Clark (disambiguation), multiple people *

Ian Clyde Ian Clyde (born May 15, 1956 in Verdun, Quebec) is a retired Boxing, boxer from Canada, who represented his native country at the Boxing at the 1976 Summer Olympics, 1976 Summer Olympics. After defeating Charlie Magri of Great Britain, he was defe ...

(born 1956), Canadian boxer * Ian Cole (born 1989), American hockey player * Ian Collier (1943–2008), singer and actor * Ian Colquhoun, New Zealand cricketer * Ian Colquhoun (author), Scottish actor and writer * Ian Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people * Ian James Corlett (born 1962), cartoon writer and voice actor, creator of '' Being Ian'' *

Ian Crocker Ian Lowell Crocker (born August 31, 1982) is an American former competition swimmer, five-time Olympic medalist, and former world record-holder. During his career, he set world records in the 50- and 100-meter butterfly (long course and short ...

(born 1982), swimmer * Ian Curteis (1935-2021), English television writer *

Ian Curtis Ian Kevin Curtis (15 July 1956 – 18 May 1980) was an English singer, songwriter and musician. He was the lead singer, lyricist and occasional guitarist of the band Joy Division, with whom he released the albums ''Unknown Pleasures'' (197 ...

(1956–1980), singer and lyricist in

Joy Division Joy Division were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist, guitarist and lyricist Ian Curtis, guitarist and keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris (musici ...

Ian Dalrymple Ian Dalrymple (26 August 190328 March 1989) was a British screenwriter, film director, film editor and film producer. Early life Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, he was educated at Rugby School, Rugby and Trinity College, Cambridge. Career ...

(1903–1989), British filmmaker * Ian Danskin, American YouTuber *

Ian Davidson (disambiguation) Ian Davidson may refer to: *Ian Davidson (footballer, born 1947), English footballer *Ian Davidson (footballer, born 1937), Scottish footballer *Ian Davidson (British politician) (born 1950), former Scottish Labour Co-operative MP *Ian Davidson (Sou ...

, multiple people * Ian Davis (disambiguation), multiple people * Ian Desmond (born 1985), American Major League Baseball shortstop * Ian Stuart Donaldson (1957–1993), English vocalist and frontman of British neo-Nazi band

Skrewdriver Skrewdriver were an English punk rock band formed by Ian Stuart Donaldson in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, in 1976. Originally a punk band, Skrewdriver changed into a white power skinhead rock band after reuniting in the 1980s. Their original ...

Ian Dunn (activist) Ian Campbell Dunn (1 May 1943 – 10 March 1998) was a Scottish gay rights and pro-paedophilia campaigner. He was founder of The Scottish Minorities Group (later known as Outright Scotland), one of the first British gay rights organisations, ...

(1943–1998), Scottish gay and paedophile rights activist * Ian Dunn (rugby union) (born 1960), New Zealand rugby union player *

Ian Dury Ian Robins Dury (12 May 1942 27 March 2000) was an English singer, songwriter and actor who rose to fame in the late 1970s, during the punk rock, punk and new wave music, new wave era of rock music. He was the lead singer and lyricist of Kilburn ...

(1942–2000), British singer and songwriter * Ian Eagle (born 1969), American sports announcer * Ian Edmond (born 1978), British swimmer * Ian Erix, American singer-songwriter *

Ian Falconer Ian Woodward Falconer (August 25, 1959 – March 7, 2023) was an American author and illustrator of children's books as well as a designer of sets and costumes for the theater. He created 30 covers for ''The New Yorker'' and also for other publ ...

(1959–2023), American author and illustrator * Ian Ferguson (disambiguation), multiple people * Ian Flanagan (born 1982), Welsh tennis player *

Ian Fleming Ian Lancaster Fleming (28 May 1908 – 12 August 1964) was a British writer, best known for his postwar ''James Bond'' series of spy novels. Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co., and his ...

(1908–1964), British novelist, creator of James Bond *

Ian Flynn James Ian Flynn (born May 31, 1982), also known by his Internet pen name Ian Potto, is an American-Canadian comic book writer. He was chief writer for Archie Comics's ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' since issue #160, after the departure of the previous chi ...

(born 1982), American comic book writer * Ian Forrest (born 1950), British racing driver *

Ian Frazier Ian Frazier (born 1951 in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American writer and humorist. He wrote the 1989 non-fiction history ''Great Plains'', 2010's non-fiction travelogue ''Travels in Siberia'', and works as a writer and humorist for ''The New Yorker ...

(born 1951), American writer and humorist * Ian Froman (born 1937), South African-born Israeli tennis player and tennis patron * Ian George (artist) (1953–2016), Cook Islands artist * Ian Gibbons (musician) (1952–2019), English keyboardist, member of The Kinks * Ian Gibson (disambiguation), multiple people *

Ian Gillan Ian Gillan (born 19 August 1945) is an English singer who is best known as the lead singer and lyricist for the rock band Deep Purple. He is known for his powerful and wide-ranging singing voice. Initially influenced by Elvis Presley, Gillan ...

(born 1945), English lead singer of hard rock band

Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock, although their musical style has varied throughout their career. Originally for ...

* Ian Gleed (1916–1943), English Royal Air Force flying ace and one of the Few * Ian Gold (born 1978), American football player * Ian Gomm (born 1947), British guitarist and singer * Ian Goodfellow (born 1987), Director of Machine Learning in the Special Projects Group at Apple computer * Ian Gow (1937–1990), British Member of Parliament assassinated by IRA terrorists * Ian Gregson (athlete) (born 1962), Canadian actor, musician, activist * Ian Greig (born 1955), English cricketer, brother of Tony Greig * Ian Grist (1938–2002), British politician * Ian Gunther (born 1999), American gymnastics creator * Ian Hall (musician) (1940–2022), Guyanese-born British musician and composer * Ian Hallard (born 1974), British actor *

Ian Hamilton (disambiguation) Ian Hamilton may refer to: * Ian Hamilton (British Army officer) General (United Kingdom), General Sir Ian Standish Monteith Hamilton, (16 January 1853 – 12 October 1947) was a senior British Army officer who had an extensive British Empire, ...

, multiple people * Ian Hanlin, Canadian voice actor *

Ian Hanomansing Ian Harvey Hanomansing (born 1962/1963) is a Trinidadian-Canadian television journalist with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)."Hanomansing's future is anchored in star potential: Pacific Rim host could be next Mansbridge". ''Vancouver ...

, Canadian journalist and news anchor *

Ian Harding Ian Michael Harding is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Ezra Fitz in the Freeform (TV channel), Freeform mystery drama ''Pretty Little Liars'' from 2010 to 2017. Life and career Harding was born in Heidelberg, West Germany, ...

(born 1986), American actor * Ian Hart (born 1964), English actor *

Ian Haugland Jan-Håkan "Ian" Haugland (born 13 August 1964) is a Norwegian-Swedish drummer in the Swedish rock band Europe. When he was eight months old, he and his family moved to the Stockholm suburb of Märsta, Sweden. He joined Europe in the summer of ...

(born 1964 as Jan-Håkan Haugland), Norwegian-born Swedish drummer for the band

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

Ian Healy Ian Andrew Healy (born 30 April 1964) is an Australian former international cricketer who played for Queensland domestically. A wicketkeeper and right-hand middle-order batsman, he first played international cricket in 1988, after six first ...

(born 1964), Australian wicket-keeper * Ian Hecox (born 1987), American comedian with

Smosh Smosh () is an American YouTube sketch comedy-improv collective, independent production company, and former social networking site founded by Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox. In 2002, Padilla created a website named "smosh.com" for making Flas ...

* Ian Henderson (footballer) (born 1985), English footballer * Ian Henderson (news presenter) (born 1953), Australian news presenter * Ian Henderson (police officer) (1927–2013), former head of secret police in Bahrain, accused of torture * Ian Henderson (rugby league) (born 1983), Scottish rugby hooker who plays in Australia * Ian Hennessy (born 1967), Irish soccer player * Ian Hicks (disambiguation), multiple people * Ian Hill (born 1951), bassist for metal band

Judas Priest Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Judas Priest have also been referred to as one of the p ...

Ian Hislop Ian David Hislop (born 13 July 1960) is a British journalist, satirist, and television personality. He is the editor of the satirical magazine '' Private Eye'', a position he has held since 1986. He has appeared on many radio and television pr ...

(born 1960), British satirist and editor of ''Private Eye'' * Ian Ho (born 1997), freestyle swimmer *Sir

Ian Holm Sir Ian Holm Cuthbert (12 September 1931 – 19 June 2020) was an English actor. After graduating from RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) and beginning his career on the British stage as a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, he became a ...

(1931–2020), British actor * Ian Holmes (footballer, born 1950) * Ian Holmes (runner) (born 1965), English runner * Ian Holmes (footballer, born 1985) * Ian Ho (swimmer) (born 1997), Hong Kong freestyle swimmer * Ian Hornak (1944–2002), painter * Ian Hunter (actor) (1900–1975), English actor *

Ian Hunter (singer) Ian Hunter Patterson (born 3 June 1939) is an English singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Mott the Hoople, from its inception in 1969 to its dissolution in 1974, and at the time of its 2009, ...

(born 1939), English singer of Mott the Hoople * Ian McLellan Hunter (1915–1991), English screenwriter best known as the front for the blacklisted Dalton Trumbo and who later found himself blacklisted * Ian Huntley (born 1974), double murderer * Ian Jacobs (oncologist) (born 1957), English academic, gynaecological oncologist, gynaecologist/obstetrician * Ian Jacobs, Australian kickboxer and 3-time World Kickboxing Champion * Ian James (athlete) (born 1963), Olympic athlete * Ian Jones-Quartey (born 1984), animator *

Ian Joyce Ian Francis Joyce (born July 12, 1985) is an American soccer player who most recently played for Major League Soccer club Colorado Rapids. Career Born in Kinnelon, New Jersey, Joyce played high school soccer at Don Bosco Preparatory High Schoo ...

(born 1985), American soccer player * Ian Kahn (born 1972), American actor * Ian Karmel (born 1984), American stand-up comedian and writer\ *

Ian Keith Ian Keith (born Keith Ross; February 27, 1899 – March 26, 1960) was an American actor. Early years Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Keith grew up in Chicago. He was educated at the Francis Parker School there and played Hamlet in a school pr ...

(1899–1960), American actor * Ian Kennedy (born 1984), Major League Baseball pitcher *

Ian Kershaw Sir Ian Kershaw (born 29 April 1943) is an English historian whose work has chiefly focused on the social history of 20th-century Germany. He is regarded by many as one of the world's foremost experts on Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany, and is ...

(born 1943), English historian * Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister (1945–2015), singer/bass player in

Motörhead Motörhead () were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1975 by bassist and lead vocalist Lemmy Kilmister, guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox. Kilmister was the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band a ...

* Ian Kinsler (born 1982), Israeli-American Major League Baseball All Star second baseman * Ian "Vaush" Kochinski (born 1994), American YouTuber and livestreamer * Ian Koziara, American operatic tenor * Ian Krankie (born 1947), Scottish entertainer * Ian Laperrière (born 1974), Canadian-American hockey player *

Ian Lavender Arthur Ian Lavender (16 February 1946 – 2 February 2024) was an English stage, film and television actor. He is best known for his role as Private Pike in ''Dad's Army'', a BBC sitcom set during World War II, of which he was the last survivi ...

(1946–2024), English actor * Ian Law (born 1938), Australian rules footballer *

Ian Levy Ian Levy (born 14 February 1966) is a British Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party politician who served as Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Blyth Valley (UK Parliament constituency), Blyth Valley from ...

(born 1966), British Conservative MP for Blyth Valley since 2019 *Ian

Hideo Levy is an United States, American-born Japanese language author. Levy was born in California and educated in Taiwan, the US, and Japan. He is one of the first Americans to write modern literature in Japanese, and his work has won the Noma Literary ...

(born 1950), American author * Ian Oswald Liddell (1919–1945), recipient of the Victoria Cross * Ian Livingstone (born 1949), author * Ian Lorimer, British television director * Ian Lucas (born 1960), politician * Ian MacArthur (1925–2007), politician *

Ian MacDonald Ian MacCormick (known by the pseudonym Ian MacDonald; 3 October 1948 – 20 August 2003) was an English music critic, journalist and author, best known for both '' Revolution in the Head'', his critical history of the Beatles which borrowed te ...

(1948–2003), author * Ian Macdonald (barrister) (1939–2019) *

Ian MacKaye Ian Thomas Garner MacKaye (; born April 16, 1962) is an American musician. Active since 1979, he is best known as the co-founder and owner of Dischord Records, a Washington, D.C.–based independent record label, and the frontman of hardcore pu ...

(born 1962), musician * Ian Mahinmi (born 1986), basketball player * Ian Malcolm (politician) (1868–1944), Member of Parliament (1910–1919) * Ian Martin (disambiguation), multiple people * Ian Matos (1989–2021), Brazilian diver * Ian Matthews (drummer) (born 1971), drummer for

Kasabian Kasabian ( ) are an English rock band formed in Leicester in 1997 by lead vocalist Tom Meighan, guitarist and second vocalist Sergio Pizzorno, guitarist Chris Karloff and bassist Chris Edwards. Drummer Ian Matthews joined in 2004. Karloff ...

* Ian Maxtone-Graham (born 1959), television writer and producer * Ian McAteer (born 1961), former gangster from Glasgow *

Ian McCaskill Ian McCaskill (born John Robertson McCaskill; 28 July 1938 – 10 December 2016) was a Scottish meteorologist and television and radio presenter, who frequently presented weather forecasts on the BBC. Early life McCaskill attended Queen's Par ...

(1938–2016), weather forecaster * Ian McCulloch (actor) (born 1939), actor * Ian McCulloch (singer) (born 1959), British singer in the band

Echo & the Bunnymen Echo & the Bunnymen are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch (singer), Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bassist Les Pattinson. By 1980, Pete de Freita ...

* Ian McCulloch (snooker player) (born 1971), snooker player * Ian McDiarmid (born 1944), Scottish actor *

Ian McDonald (musician) Ian Richard McDonald (25 June 1946 – 9 February 2022) was an English musician, composer and multi-instrumentalist, best known as a founding member of the progressive rock band King Crimson in 1968, as well as the hard rock band Foreigner (ban ...

(1946–2022), British musician, best known for being a member of both

King Crimson King Crimson were an English progressive rock band formed in London in 1968 by Robert Fripp, Michael Giles, Greg Lake, Ian McDonald (musician), Ian McDonald and Peter Sinfield. Guitarist Fripp remained the only constant member throughout the ...

and Foreigner *

Ian McEwan Ian Russell McEwan (born 21 June 1948) is a British novelist and screenwriter. In 2008, ''The Times'' featured him on its list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945" and ''The Daily Telegraph'' ranked him number 19 in its list of the ...

(born 1948), English novelist and screenwriter * Ian McKay (1953–1982), English recipient of the Victoria Cross *Sir

Ian McKellen Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. He has played roles on the screen and stage in genres ranging from Shakespearean dramas and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. He is regarded as a British cu ...

(born 1939), English actor * Ian McLagan (1945–2014), English musician, best known for being a member of both

Small Faces Small Faces were an English Rock music, rock band from London, founded in 1965. The group originally consisted of Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones and Jimmy Winston, with Ian McLagan replacing Winston as the band's keyboardist in 1966 ...

and Faces * Ian McMillan (footballer) (born 1931), Scottish footballer *

Ian McMillan (poet) Ian McMillan (born 21 January 1956) is an English poet, journalist, playwright, and broadcaster. He is known for his strong and distinctive Yorkshire accent and his incisive, friendly interview style on programmes such as BBC Radio 3's ''The V ...

(born 1956) *

Ian McShane Ian David McShane (born 29 September 1942) is an English actor. His television performances include the title role in the BBC series ''Lovejoy'' (1986–1994), Al Swearengen in '' Deadwood'' (2004–2006) and its 2019 film continuation, and M ...

(born 1942), actor * Ian Messiter (1920–1999), English creator of ''Just a Minute'' * Ian Miles (born 1952), Australian rules footballer * Ian Moran (cricketer) (born 1979), Australian cricketer * Ian Moran (born 1972), American hockey player * Ian Morris (cricketer) (born 1946), Welsh cricketer *Ian Morris (musician) (1957–2010), New Zealand musician *Ian Morris (historian) (born 1960), British historian *Ian Morris (athlete) (born 1961), Trinidadian athlete *Ian Morris (footballer) (born 1987), Irish footballer *Ian Morrison (journalist) (1913–1950), Australian journalist *Ian Morrison (RNZAF officer) (1914–1997), senior officer of the Royal New Zealand Air Force *Scotty Morrison, Ian "Scotty" Morrison (born 1930), former National Hockey League referee and vice president *Ian Morrison (footballer) (born 1954), Australian rules footballer *Sir Ian Morrow (1912–2006), British accountant and politician *Ian Morton (born 1970), English cricketer *Ian Mosley (born 1953), drummer for Marillion *Ian Moss (born 1955), Australian musician, Cold Chisel *Ian Murdock (1973–2015), computer professional, creator of the Debian project *Ian Nepomniachtchi (born 1990), Russian chess grandmaster * Ian Ormondroyd, English footballer *Ian O'Brien (born 1947), swimmer *Ian Paice (born 1948), drummer of

*Ian Paisley (1926–2014), Protestant politician *Ian Patterson (disambiguation), multiple people *Ian Pearson (badminton) (born 1974), English badminton player *Ian Peck (born 1957), English cricketer *Ian Pooley (born 1973), German DJ *Ian Poulter (born 1976), English professional golfer *Ian Punnett (born 1960), American radio broadcaster and priest *Ian Rankin (born 1960), Scottish novelist *Ian Reed (1927–2020), Australian discus thrower *Ian Reid (disambiguation), multiple people *Ian Richards (disambiguation), multiple people *Ian Richardson (1934–2007), Scottish actor *Ian Roberts (athlete) (born 1973), Guyanese-American educator and former Olympic athlete *Ian Robinson (disambiguation), multiple people *Ian Ross (disambiguation), multiple people *Ian Rush (born 1961), Welsh footballer *Ian Sanders (born 1961), cricketer for Edinburgh, Scotland *Ian Sangalang (born 1991), Filipino professional basketball player *Ian Scheckter (born 1947), former South African F1 driver. Brother of Jody Scheckter and uncle of Tomas Scheckter. *Ian Scott (disambiguation), multiple people *Ian Shaw (actor) (born 1969) *Ian Smith (disambiguation), multiple people *Ian Smith (1919–2007), Prime Minister of Rhodesia 1964–1979 *Ian Snell (born 1981), American Major League Baseball pitcher *Ian Somerhalder (born 1978), actor *Ian Stanley (born 1957), British musician *Ian Stannard (born 1987), English cyclist *Ian Stevenson Webster (1925–2002), British judge *Ian Stewart (disambiguation), multiple people *Ian Stone, English comedian *Ian Svenonius (born 1968), American musician *Ian Tattersall, (born 1945), American paleoanthropologist *Ian Thomas (disambiguation), multiple people *Ian Thomson (disambiguation), multiple people *Ian Thornley (born 1972), Canadian musician *Ian Thorpe (born 1982), Australian swimmer *Sam Totman, Ian "Sam" Totman (born 1979), British guitarist *Ian Tracey (born 1964), Canadian actor *Ian Tyson (1933–2022), Canadian singer-songwriter *Ian Van Dahl, Belgian artist *Ian Veneracion (born 1975), Filipino actor, athlete, pilot, and singer *Ian Voigt, American sound engineer *Ian Walker (sailor) (born 1970), British sailor *Ian Wallace (disambiguation), multiple people *Ian Waltz (born 1977), American discus thrower *Ian Watkins (Lostprophets singer) (born 1977), former lead singer of the alternative metal band Lostprophets, and convicted pedophile *Ian "H" Watkins (born 1976), British pop singer and actor, former member of Steps *Ian Weatherhead (born 1932), English watercolor artist *Ian Webster (born 1986), English footballer *Ian West (born 1951), Australian politician *Sir Ian Wilmut (1944–2023), English embryologist, best known for cloning Dolly the sheep *Ian Wilson (disambiguation), multiple people *Ian Wingrove (1942–2023), British-American visual effects artist *Ian Wolfe (1896–1992), American actor *Ian Wolstenholme (born 1943), English football player and manager *Ian Wood (disambiguation), multiple people *Ian Woosnam (born 1958), Welsh golfer *Ian Wright (born 1963), English footballer *Ian Donald Calvin Euclid Zappa, birth name of American musician Dweezil Zappa (born 1969) *Ian Ziering (born 1964), American actor

Surname

*Janis Ian (born 1951), singer and songwriter *Scott Ian, stage name of Scott Ian Rosenfeld (born 1963), guitarist with the metal band Anthrax (American band), Anthrax

Notable people named Iain

*Iain Anders (1933–1997), English actor *Iain Andrews (born 1975), contemporary English painter *Iain Archer, Northern Irish Singer-songwriter musician *Iain Armitage (born 2008), American child actor *Iain Baird (born 1971), Canadian soccer defender *Iain Ballamy (born 1964), British composer, soprano, alto and tenor saxophone player *Iain Balshaw (born 1979), English rugby player *Iain Bell (born 1980), English composer *Iain Banks (1954–2013), Scottish writer *Iain Benson (born 1955), legal philosopher, writer, professor and practising legal consultant *Iain Black (born 1967), British Columbia politician *Iain Boal, Irish social historian of technics and the commons *Iain Borden (born 1962), English architectural historian and urban commentator *Iain Brambell (born 1973), Canadian rower *Iain Brines (born 1967), former Scottish football referee in the Scottish Premier League *Iain Brunnschweiler (born 1979), English cricketer *Iain Canning (born 1979), English film producer *Iain Chambers (musician), Iain Chambers, English composer, producer and performer *Iain Michael Chambers, British scholar *Iain Cheeseman, Australian scientist *Iain Chisholm (born 1985), Scottish footballer *Iain Clough (born 1965), British slalom canoer *Iain Collings, Australian scientist *Iain Connell (born 1977), Scottish comedian and actor *Iain Coucher (born 1961), British businessman and consultant in the railway industry *Iain Couzin, British scientist *Iain Dale (born 1962), British broadcaster, author and political commentator *Iain Davidson (born 1984), Scottish professional footballer *Iain De Caestecker (born 1987), Scottish actor *Iain Dilthey (born 1971), British film director *Iain Donald Campbell (1941–2014), Scottish biophysicist and academic *Iain Dowie (born 1965), Northern Irish football manager *Iain Duncan (born 1963), Canadian ice hockey forward *Iain Dunn (born 1970), English professional footballer *Iain Durrant (born 1966), Scottish footballer *Iain Eairdsidh MacAsgaill (1898–1934), Scottish poet and piper *Iain Evans (field hockey) (born 1981), South African field hockey player *Iain Fairley (born 1973), Scottish rugby union player *Iain Fearn (born 1949), Scottish footballer *Iain Finlay (born 1935), Australian author *Iain Finlayson (alpine skier) (1951–1990), British alpine skier *Iain Glen (born 1961), Scottish actor, noted for his role in TV's ''Game of Thrones'' *Iain Gray (born 1957), Leader of Labour in the Scottish Parliament *Iain Hamilton (disambiguation), multiple people *Iain Harnden (born 1976), Zimbabwean hurdler *Iain Henderson (born 1992), professional rugby player for Ulster, Ireland and the British & Irish Lions *Iain Kay (born 1949), Zimbabwean farmer and politician *Iain Lee (born 1973), British comedian, TV presenter and radio presenter *Iain Lindsay (born 1959), British diplomat *Iain Macleod (1913–1970), British politician *Iain Macmillan (1938–2006), Scottish photographer, noted for his image of the Beatles walking across Abbey Road *Iain Matthews (born 1946), formerly known as Ian Matthews, English musician, singer-songwriter, member of Fairport Convention * Iain David McGeachy (1948–2009), birth name of John Martyn, British singer-songwriter and guitarist *Iain McGilchrist (born 1953), psychiatrist, writer, and former Oxford literary scholar *Iain McKenzie (born 1959), Scottish politician *Iain Morrison (rugby union) (born 1962), Scottish rugby union player *Iain Morrison (born 1983), English rugby league player *Iain Morrison (musician), Scottish musician *Iain O'Brien (born 1976), New Zealand cricketer *Iain Paxton (born 1957), Scottish rugby player *Iain Robertson (born 1981), Scottish actor *Iain Smith (Scottish politician) (born 1960), Scottish politician *Iain Duncan Smith (born 1954), Leader of the Conservative Party, 2001–2003 *Iain Softley (born 1958), film director *Iain Stirling (born 1988), Scottish TV presenter and comedian *Iain Stewart (disambiguation), multiple people * Iain Sutherland (1948–2019), Scottish musician, member of The Sutherland Brothers *Iain Sydie (born 1969), Canadian badminton player *Iain Torrance (born 1949), President of Princeton Theological Seminary and former Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland

Fictional people named Ian

* Ian – the supporting character from ''The Haunted House (TV series), The Haunted House'' animated series * Ian – from Shane Jiraiya Cummings' short story "Ian"; every male character the protagonist meets is called Ian * Ian – from Sarah Kane's play ''Blasted'' * Ian – from ''Leprechaun 2'' * Ian – the protagonist in the manga ''Not Simple'' by Natsume Ono *Ian Beale – from the TV soap opera ''EastEnders'' *Ian Chesterton – from the TV series ''Doctor Who'' * Ian Craig – from the radio soap opera ''The Archers'' * Ian the Deer – Elliot's arch-rival in the ''Open Season (2006 film), Open Season'' movies * Ian Donnelly, Jeremy Renner's character in Arrival (film), ''Arrival'' * Ian Doyle – an Irish terrorist featured on ''Criminal Minds'' *Ian Edgerton – FBI agent and sniper from the show ''Numb3rs'' *Ian Foot – from the British TV series Come Fly with Me (2010 TV series), ''Come Fly with Me'' *Ian Gallagher – one of the main characters in the television drama ''Shameless (British TV series), Shameless'' and its Shameless (American TV series), American remake * Ian Grimm – creative director of fictional video game in the television series ''Mythic Quest'' * Ian Hainsworth – Susan Delfino's boyfriend in 3rd season of ''Desperate Housewives'' * Ian Hawke – the main antagonist in the ''Alvin and the Chipmunks (film), Alvin and the Chipmunks'' movies * Ian Howe – an antagonist in ''National Treasure (film), National Treasure'' * Ian Kabra – antagonist of the book series ''The 39 Clues'' * Ian Kelley – title character from the Canadian animated series '' Being Ian'', created by Ian James Corlett, voiced by Richard Ian Cox * Ian Lewis and Ian Ketterman (together with dozens of other Ians) – characters created by Lee and Herring; the duo used 'Ian' as their de facto comedy name, in such sketches as the Ian News * Ian Lightfoot – Tom Holland (actor), Tom Holland’s character from the film Onward (film), ''Onward'' *Ian Malcolm (Jurassic Park) – from Michael Crichton's novel ''Jurassic Park (novel), Jurassic Park'' *Ian (MÄR) – a recurring character in the manga and anime series ''MÄR'' * Ian Maxtone-Graham – from the TV series ''Suddenly Susan'' * Professor Ian McClaine – adoptive father of ''Joe 90'' * Ian McKenzie – the liberal attorney from the novel and the film ''A Dry White Season'' * Ian McKinley – from the movie ''Final Destination 3'' * Ian Miller – from the movie ''My Big Fat Greek Wedding'' * Ian Murray – the nephew of Jamie Fraser in Diana Gabaldon's Outlander (book series), ''Outlander'' series * Ian Nottingham – a character from Witchblade comic and Witchblade (2001 TV series), TV series * Ian O'Shea – from Stephenie Meyer's novel ''The Host (novel), The Host'' * Ian Papov – character and member of the Demolition Boys (also known as the Blitzkrieg Boys) from the anime series ''Beyblade (manga), Beyblade'' (2000) * Ian Randall – from the Smallville (TV series), ''Smallville'' (TV series), episodes "Dichotic" and "Asylum", a character who had the ability to duplicate himself * Ian Raymond – Laura's boyfriend in the novel and film ''High Fidelity (novel), High Fidelity'' * Ian Richton – A character and Ginger's former crush in the TV show ''As Told by Ginger'' * Ian Rider – from the ''Alex Rider'' books *Recurring guest characters in Green Wing#Ian, Oscar, Jamie, Robbie and Stuart Schulenburg, Ian Schulenburg – unseen husband of Harriet Schulenburg in ''Green Wing'' * Ian Scuffling – Tyrone Slothrup's adopted name after he goes into hiding in Thomas Pynchon's ''Gravity's Rainbow'' *Children of All My Children#Ian Slater, Ian Slater – from the ABC soap opera ''All My Children'' * Ian Thomas – Ryan Merriman's character in the TV series ''Pretty Little Liars (TV series), Pretty Little Liars'' *Janis Ian (Mean Girls), Janis Ian – from the film ''Mean Girls''

Fictional people named Iain

* Iain Sterling, a fictional character in the ''Android: Netrunner'' universe *Iain Dean, a fictional character in the ''Casualty (TV series), Casualty Central'' universe

References

{{given name English-language masculine given names Scottish masculine given names Scottish unisex given names English masculine given names English unisex given names Masculine given names Unisex given names Irish masculine given names Welsh masculine given names Welsh unisex given names Welsh given names