Zan
Zan is a name with multiple cultural origins: Chinese, Slovene.
- Chinese
- Slovene
Meaning & Origin of Zan
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Zan is a name with multiple cultural origins: Chinese, Slovene.
Origin data from Behind the Name .
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Chinese
- Slovene
The Story of Zan
As a girl name
American parents first put Zan on the record books as a girl name in 1942, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1955, when 11 Zans were born — ranking #3,572 that year. About 44% of every Zan on record arrived during the 1950s, its defining decade. Zan last appeared in the published SSA data in 1969, with 8 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 114 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1940s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
Zan first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1916, with 6 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2002: 20 births, good for #4,044 nationwide. About 23% of every Zan on record arrived during the 2000s, its defining decade. Zan last appeared in the published SSA data in 2024, with 11 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 651 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1910s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Zan
Phonetically similar names — useful when Zan 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 Zan
What does the name Zan mean?
What is the origin of the name Zan?
How popular is Zan in 2026?
When was Zan most popular?
Is Zan a unisex name?
What names go well with Zan?
About the name Zan
Zan is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1916 and has accumulated 651 births in the dataset. Zan's peak popularity came in 2002 when it ranked #4,044. Use the chart and map above to compare Zan's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2002 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "Z" →
- 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.