Stan
Stan is a masculine given name originating as a short form (hypocorism) of names such as Stanley, Stanislav and Stanford.
- English
- Polish
- Romanian
- Dutch
Meaning & Origin of Stan
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Stan is a masculine given name originating as a short form (hypocorism) of names such as Stanley, Stanislav and Stanford.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- Polish
- Romanian
- Dutch
The Story of Stan
American parents first put Stan on the record books as a baby boy name in 1914, with 9 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1959, when 419 Stans were born — ranking #386 that year. The 1950s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 28% of all recorded Stans. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2024 (9 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 8K Stans 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 Stan
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Stan. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Stan
Phonetically similar names — useful when Stan 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 Stan
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In which U.S. states is Stan most popular?
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About the name Stan
Stan is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1914 and has accumulated 8K births in the dataset. Stan's peak popularity came in 1959 when it ranked #386. Use the chart and map above to compare Stan's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1959 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "S" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.