A male given name of Scottish origin, a Scottish form of the name John, meaning 'God is gracious.'
From Gaelic 'Iain,' which is the Scottish Gaelic form of 'John,' derived from Hebrew 'Yochanan' (God is gracious). The name traveled from Hebrew through Greek, Latin, and Celtic languages, evolving differently in each culture.
Ian is one of the few names that shows how a Hebrew name (John) can be transformed completely by a different language—Gaelic speakers pronounced it so differently that it became an entirely different word. Famous Ians include author Ian Fleming and actor Ian McKellen, making it iconic in literature and film.
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