Lan
Meaningorchid · Vietnamese
- US rank
- #8,910
- Syllables
- 1
- Peak
- #2,496 in 1981
8 babies were named Lan in the US in 2025.
Found on lists
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million girls, 1972–2025
US births per million boys, 1948–2025
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Lan you might not know, from US birth records. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
- How commonAbout 1 in every 212,766 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Lan, 8 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Lan would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryLan first shows up in US birth records in 1948, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 77 years since.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 1981, when it ranked #2,496. Today it's #8,910, so it could be due a comeback.
- MeaningIn Vietnamese, Lan means “orchid”.
- OriginLan is the #7 most popular Vietnamese boy name in the US. That's out of 41 Vietnamese boy and unisex names in our list.
About the name Lan
Lan is a boy name of Vietnamese origin meaning “orchid”. It has 3 letters and 1 syllable, starting with L and ending in “-lan”. US birth records list Lan for boys from 1948 to 2025, in 44 of those 78 years. Its best year was 1981, when it ranked #2,496 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #8,910, with 8 babies.
Origin:Vietnamese names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 7.9 | 125,984 girls |
| 1980s | 20 | 50,710 girls |
| 1990s | 10 | 99,305 girls |
| 2000s | 5.0 | 200,000 girls |
| 2010s | 3.5 | 287,356 girls |
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 1.7 | 588,235 boys |
| 1950s | 1.5 | 649,351 boys |
| 1960s | 0.6 | 1,724,138 boys |
| 1970s | 2.3 | 444,444 boys |
| 1980s | 5.9 | 170,648 boys |
| 1990s | 1.9 | 526,316 boys |
| 2000s | 1.6 | 645,161 boys |
| 2010s | 1.3 | 775,194 boys |
| 2020s | 3.2 | 314,136 boys |
Questions about the name Lan
What does the name Lan mean?
Lan means “orchid” in Vietnamese.
What is the origin of the name Lan?
Lan has Vietnamese roots in our records. Other Vietnamese names include Teo, Cam, Cai.
Is Lan a boy or girl name?
Lan is a boy name.
How popular is the name Lan?
Lan ranked #8,910 for US boys in 2025, given to 8 babies. Its best year was 1981 (#2,496).