An
An is a name with multiple cultural origins: Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Sumerian Mythology.
- Chinese
- Vietnamese
- Japanese
- Sumerian Mythology
Meaning & Origin of An
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
An is a name with multiple cultural origins: Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Sumerian Mythology.
Origin data from Behind the Name .
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Chinese
- Vietnamese
- Japanese
- Sumerian Mythology
The Story of An
As a girl name
The earliest SSA record of An as a girl name dates back to 1946, when 6 babies received it. 2010 was its biggest year on record, with 47 newborns named An — #3,409 in the national rankings. About 26% of every An on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, An ranks #4,065 for girls with 35 births, gradually rising (+8%). All told, over 1K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1940s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
American parents first put An on the record books as a boy name in 1975, with 7 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1997, when 32 Ans were born — ranking #2,502 that year. About 22% of every An on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, An ranks #4,436 for boys with 23 births, gradually falling (-14%). All told, over 1K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1970s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like An
Phonetically similar names — useful when An is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about An
What does the name An mean?
What is the origin of the name An?
How popular is An in 2026?
When was An most popular?
In which U.S. states is An most popular?
Is An a unisex name?
What names go well with An?
About the name An
An is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1946 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. An's peak popularity came in 2010 when it ranked #3,388. Use the chart and map above to compare An's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2010 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "A" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.