Yan
Yan is a name with multiple cultural origins: Belarusian, Chinese, French.
- Belarusian
- Chinese
- French
Meaning & Origin of Yan
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Yan is a name with multiple cultural origins: Belarusian, Chinese, French.
Origin data from Behind the Name .
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Belarusian
- Chinese
- French
The Story of Yan
As a girl name
American parents first put Yan on the record books as a girl name in 1983, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2000, when 11 Yans were born — ranking #8,534 that year. The 2000s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 56% of all recorded Yans. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2017 (5 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 99 Yans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
American parents first put Yan on the record books as a boy name in 1971, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 49 Yans were born — ranking #2,686 that year. The 2010s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 26% of all recorded Yans. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #2,686 among boy names with 49 births, rising sharply (+48% over the past five years). In total, more than 1K Yans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Yan
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Yan. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Where is Yan most common?
Predicted country distribution based on naming patterns globally.
- China38%
- HK29%
- Malaysia12%
- France12%
- Singapore9%
Source: Nationalize.io . Probabilities are global naming-pattern estimates, not strict counts.
Names that sound like Yan
Phonetically similar names — useful when Yan 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 Yan
What does the name Yan mean?
What is the origin of the name Yan?
How popular is Yan in 2026?
When was Yan most popular?
In which U.S. states is Yan most popular?
Is Yan a unisex name?
What names go well with Yan?
What are nicknames or variants of Yan?
About the name Yan
Yan is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1971 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Yan's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #2,686. Use the chart and map above to compare Yan's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2026 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "Y" →
- Browse all boy 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.