Kailan
Gai lan, kai-lan, Chinese broccoli, or Chinese kale is a leafy vegetable with thick, flat, glossy blue-green leaves with thick stems, and florets similar to broccoli. A Brassica oleracea cultivar, gai lan is in the group alboglabra. When gone to flower, its white blossoms resemble that of its cousin Matthiola incana or hoary stock.
Meaning & Origin of Kailan
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Gai lan, kai-lan, Chinese broccoli, or Chinese kale is a leafy vegetable with thick, flat, glossy blue-green leaves with thick stems, and florets similar to broccoli. A Brassica oleracea cultivar, gai lan is in the group alboglabra. When gone to flower, its white blossoms resemble that of its cousin Matthiola incana or hoary stock.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Kailan
As a girl name
The earliest SSA record of Kailan as a girl name dates back to 1988, when 7 babies received it. 2009 was its biggest year on record, with 39 newborns named Kailan — #3,944 in the national rankings. The 2010s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 34% of all recorded Kailans. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2024 (10 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 512 Kailans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
The earliest SSA record of Kailan as a boy name dates back to 1990, when 6 babies received it. 2026 was its biggest year on record, with 52 newborns named Kailan — #2,579 in the national rankings. The 2020s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 41% of all recorded Kailans. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #2,579 among boy names with 52 births, rising sharply (+97% over the past five years). In total, more than 670 Kailans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Kailan
Phonetically similar names — useful when Kailan 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 Kailan
What does the name Kailan mean?
How popular is Kailan in 2026?
When was Kailan most popular?
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Is Kailan a unisex name?
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About the name Kailan
Kailan is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1990 and has accumulated 670 births in the dataset. Kailan's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #2,579. Use the chart and map above to compare Kailan's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2026 →
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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.