Given name & surname
Ean
“God is gracious”
In Gaelic use, Ean carries the interpretation “God is gracious.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In Gaelic use, Ean carries the interpretation “God is gracious.”
How it developed
Ean is used as a form of John.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1968. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Ean through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 6,562
- 6,562 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2007
- 289 babies
- 2025
- 89
- #1,797 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −25%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 89 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,797 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 25.4% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 289 in 2007. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (11). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 5,455 as a first name in 2020; 195 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Ean’s family of names
Ean is a form of John. In Manx usage, Ean has a conventional equivalent in the English form John. In Manx usage, Ean has a conventional equivalent in the French form Jean.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Ean has relatives in 3 languages. Lines run from its Irish roots to each of them.
3 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 5
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Ean
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Ean, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Keelan
“a slender and beautiful woman” · “a slender man”
95% boys · 5% girls
Ewan
“the little swift one”
>99% boys
Keegan
“small and fiery woman” · “a small and fiery man”
90% boys · 10% girls
Cian
“from an ancient family”
>99% boys
Hagen
“a youthful woman” · “one who is youthful”
92% boys · 8% girls
Ieuan
“God is gracious”
>99% boys
Cavan
“a handsome man”
>99% boys
Tiernan
“lord of the manor”
95% boys · 5% girls