San
San is a name with multiple cultural origins: Burmese, Turkish.
- Burmese
- Turkish
Meaning & Origin of San
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
San is a name with multiple cultural origins: Burmese, Turkish.
Origin data from Behind the Name .
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Burmese
- Turkish
The Story of San
As a girl name
The earliest SSA record of San as a girl name dates back to 1911, when 7 babies received it. 1950 was its biggest year on record, with 66 newborns named San — #1,135 in the national rankings. The 1960s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 25% of all recorded Sans. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2024 (5 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 2K Sans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
The earliest SSA record of San as a boy name dates back to 1917, when 5 babies received it. 1984 was its biggest year on record, with 23 newborns named San — #2,232 in the national rankings. The 1980s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 25% of all recorded Sans. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2024 (6 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 621 Sans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of San
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with San. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like San
Phonetically similar names — useful when San 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 San
What does the name San mean?
What is the origin of the name San?
How popular is San in 2026?
When was San most popular?
In which U.S. states is San most popular?
Is San a unisex name?
What names go well with San?
What are nicknames or variants of San?
About the name San
San is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1911 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. San's peak popularity came in 1950 when it ranked #1,135. Use the chart and map above to compare San's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1950 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "S" →
- 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.