Boy · #7,534 in 2026

Khotan

Hotan is a major oasis town in southwestern Xinjiang, an autonomous region in Northwestern China. The city proper of Hotan broke off from the larger Hotan County to become an administrative area in its own right in August 1984. It is the seat of Hotan Prefecture.

Current Rank
#7,534
Peak Rank
#7,534 (2004)
Total Babies
9
5-Yr Trend
Stable
2004
First Year
2004
Last Year
2004
Peak Year
#7534
Peak Rank
9
Total Count
1
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Khotan

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Hotan is a major oasis town in southwestern Xinjiang, an autonomous region in Northwestern China. The city proper of Hotan broke off from the larger Hotan County to become an administrative area in its own right in August 1984. It is the seat of Hotan Prefecture.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology
Hotan and its surrounding area were originally known as Godana in ancient Sanskrit cosmological texts. The Chinese transcribed the name as 于窴 , pronounced Gudana in Middle Chinese ( Yutian in modern Standard Chinese ); the pronunciation eventually morphed into Khotan . In the 7th century, the Chinese Buddhist monk and scholar Xuanzang attempted to remedy this lexical change. Xuanzang, who was well-versed in Sanskrit, proposed that the traditional name was in fact Kustana ( गौस्तन ) and asserted it meant "breast of the earth". However, this was likely borrowed from the Tibetan name for the regi
Origin & history
Further information: Kingdom of Khotan Kanishka 's Empire (2nd century AD) including Khotan Bronze coin of Kujula Kadphises found in Khotan. The oasis of Hotan is strategically located at the junction of the southern (and most ancient) branch of the Silk Road joining China and the West with one of the main routes from ancient India and Tibet to Central Asia and distant China. It provided a convenient meeting place where not only goods, but technologies, philosophies, and religions were transmitted from one culture to another. Tocharians lived in this region over 2000 years ago. Several of the

The Story of Khotan

Khotan first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 2004, with 9 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2004, when 9 Khotans were born — ranking #7,534 that year. As of 2026, Khotan ranks #7,534 for baby boys with 9 births, with steady use. In total, more than 9 Khotans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2000s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Khotan

Phonetically similar names — useful when Khotan 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 Khotan

What does the name Khotan mean?
Hotan is a major oasis town in southwestern Xinjiang, an autonomous region in Northwestern China. The city proper of Hotan broke off from the larger Hotan County to become an administrative area in its own right in August 1984. It is the seat of Hotan Prefecture.
How popular is Khotan in 2026?
In 2026, Khotan ranks #7,534 among boys' names in the U.S., with 9 babies given the name that year.
When was Khotan most popular?
Khotan reached its peak popularity in 2004, ranking #7,534 that year with 9 babies given the name.
Is Khotan a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Khotan is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Khotan?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Khotan include Natalia, Karis, Gregoire. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👦
Natalia
Peak #7534
👦
Karis
Peak #7534
👦
Gregoire
Peak #7534
👦
Tajiri
Peak #7534
👦
Torron
Peak #7534
👦
Anterio
Peak #7534
👦
Gariel
Peak #7534
👦
Lajon
Peak #7534

About the name Khotan

Khotan is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2004 and has accumulated 9 births in the dataset. Khotan's peak popularity came in 2004 when it ranked #7,534. Use the chart and map above to compare Khotan's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.