NameCensus.
Rare

Ean

A variant of Ian, a Scottish name derived from John.

Name Census estimates that about 6,374 living Americans carry the first name Ean. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ean today is around 19 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ean births was 2007 (289 babies).

This page is the full Name Census profile for Ean. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.

People living today

6.4K

~ 1 in 53,774 Americans

Peak year

2007

289 babies that year

Average age

19

years old

2024 SSA rank

#1,368

Tracked since 1968

Popularity

Ean: popularity over time

The SSA tracks Ean from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 2,191 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Ean remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.

Babies born per year

072145217289197019801990200020102020

Decades

Ean by decade

The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Ean during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.

DecadeMaleFemaleTotal
1960s11011
1970s1880188
1980s3970397
1990s8340834
2000s2,19102,191
2010s2,17802,178
2020s6740674

Geography

Where Eans live

The SSA's state-level files cover 33 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Ean, while Kansas, Utah, Colorado recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 122 registrations each.

Origin

Meaning and history of Ean

The name Ean has its origins in the Scottish Gaelic language, derived from the word "Eoghan," which means "born of the yew tree." This name has been in use since ancient times in the Scottish Highlands and Hebrides islands.

One of the earliest known references to the name Ean comes from the 6th century, when a Scottish king named Aedan mac Gabrain ruled over the Kingdom of Dalriada. He was a prominent figure in the region and played a significant role in the expansion of Christianity in Scotland.

In the 12th century, a notable figure named Ean Mor MacDonald, also known as John of Islay, was the Lord of the Isles and a powerful figure in Scottish history. He was known for his military prowess and his role in the Scottish Wars of Independence against England.

Another historical figure bearing the name Ean was Ean Dubh Munro, a Scottish warrior who lived in the 16th century. He was the chief of the Clan Munro and played a vital role in the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh in 1547, leading his clan against the English forces.

In the 18th century, Ean MacLachlan was a Scottish Gaelic poet and bard from the Isle of Mull. He was renowned for his skill in composing traditional Scottish Gaelic poetry and his works were widely celebrated during his lifetime.

Ean MacColl, born in 1915 and died in 1989, was a Scottish folk singer, songwriter, and labor activist. He is considered one of the most influential figures in the British folk revival movement, and his songs often reflected his political beliefs and social commentary.

While the name Ean has its roots in Scottish Gaelic culture, it has also been adopted and used in various other cultures and languages over time, albeit with slightly different spellings or pronunciations. However, its origins and historical significance remain closely tied to the Scottish Highlands and Hebrides islands.

People

Ean + last name combinations

How many people share a full name with Ean as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.

Related

Other names starting with E

Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.

FAQ

Ean: questions and answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Ean?

Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6,374 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ean going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 53,774 US residents.

Is Ean a common name?

We classify Ean as "Rare". It ranks above 97% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6,473 babies have been registered with this name.

When was Ean most popular?

The single biggest year for Ean was 2007, when 289 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ean is about 19 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.

Is Ean a male name?

Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ean in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.

Where does this data come from?

First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.

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