Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1981

Lan

Meaning orchid Gender Unisex · 71% girls Rank 2025 Below top lists

Lan is a personal name, frequently used in Chinese and Vietnamese contexts as a feminine given name, which means "orchid" in Vietnamese.

Rank 2025
–
among girls
Babies in 2025
8
named Lan
How common
–
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1981
62 babies
All-time total
1,087
#8,975 all-time among girls
First recorded
1948
in Social Security records

Lan popularity over time

1,087 babies have been named Lan since 1948, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.010.020.020.0318801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
GirlsBoys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s – – – – – –
1930s – – – – – –
1940s – 6 6 1 – –
1950s – 31 31 3 +417% –
1960s – 10 10 1 -68% –
1970s 97 38 135 14 +1250% #2,986
1980s 336 108 444 44 +229% #2,170
1990s 183 37 220 22 -50% #3,490
2000s 92 31 123 12 -44% #5,410
2010s 61 24 85 9 -31% #8,916
2020s (to 2025) – 33 33 6 -35% –

The story of Lan

Lan is not currently in use for newborns in the United States: fewer than five babies received the name in 2025. Its story lives in the historical record below.

Since 1948, 1,087 American babies have been named Lan, about 71% girls and 29% boys, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1981, when 62 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1980s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Lan stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Lan?

The median living Lan is about 38 years old; half are between 27 and 43. An estimated 1,000 people named Lan are alive in the United States today.

median 38 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Lan year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 8 #9,372
2024 – – 9 #8,705
2023 – – 5 #13,357
2022 – – 5 #13,512
2021 – – 6 #11,564
2020 – – – –
2019 5 #16,928 6 #11,576
2018 5 #17,037 8 #9,303
2017 – – – –
2016 6 #15,400 5 #13,390
2015 5 #17,954 – –
2014 6 #15,702 – –
2013 7 #13,995 – –
2012 13 #8,916 – –
2011 6 #15,908 5 #13,512
2010 8 #12,938 – –
2009 7 #14,559 – –
2008 14 #8,770 – –
2007 – – – –
2006 9 #11,991 6 #11,464
2005 7 #13,823 – –
2004 10 #10,342 6 #10,788
2003 6 #14,915 7 #9,235
2002 7 #12,991 7 #9,006
2001 11 #9,093 – –
2000 21 #5,410 5 #11,441
1995 14 #6,456 6 #8,428
1990 24 #4,172 5 #8,920
1985 28 #3,202 19 #2,653
1980 32 #2,833 5 #6,817
1975 13 #4,726 5 #5,947
1970 – – 8 #3,693
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – 7 #3,354
1950 – – 7 #3,193
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Lan, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Lan?

The median living Lan is about 38 years old. Half of all living Lans are between 27 and 43 years old.

How many people named Lan are alive today?

An estimated 1,000 people named Lan are alive in the United States, based on 1,087 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Lan mean?

Lan is a personal name, frequently used in Chinese and Vietnamese contexts as a feminine given name, which means "orchid" in Vietnamese.

How popular is the name Lan in 2025?

Lan did not appear in the 2025 Social Security data, which means fewer than five babies received the name that year.

How many people are named Lan?

1,087 babies have been named Lan in the United States since 1948, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Lan most popular?

Lan peaked in 1981, when 62 newborns received the name.

Is Lan a boy or girl name?

Lan is used for both: about 71% of babies named Lan have been girls and 29% boys.

Is the name Lan rising or falling?

Lan is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Names like Lan

Names that sound and feel close to Lan: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Lan with similar names → More names starting with L →