Yan

Yan - A very unique male name

Yan appeared on the charts for the first time in 1984 on position #2614. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Yan and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Yan? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Yan. The baby boy name Yan was given to 25 baby boys in 2025, ranking #2257 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 58,651 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Yan peaked in popularity 1 years ago in 2025 on position 2257.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Yan, 1-5?

Yan is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Yan is currently topping the baby name charts in New Jersey at position #1,178 - and is the least popular in California at position #1,822.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Yan is where you live.

---

Comment and discuss

---

Yan origin and meaning

Chinese / Slavic, multiple sources

Uncertain as used in the US — Yan is a Chinese given name and surname with character-dependent meanings, and also a Slavic form of Jan (John)

Yan cannot be given one etymology: Chinese Yan varies by character, Slavic Yan derives from John, and American use draws on both. It has appeared at low levels since 1984.

Origin uncertain

Yan is a 3 letter name with 1 syllables.

To see famous people named Yan, pop culture references for the name Yan and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Yan

We've found the following names that sound similar to Yan, sorted by popularity.

Yohan / Yonah / Yona / Yoni / Yanni / Yaman / Yuma / Yianni / Yoan / Yohann /

---

Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Yan

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Yan a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Yan?

1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

---

Pronunciation

YAHN · /jɑːn/

Around the world

• Yan (Chinese) — Used as-is, meaning varies by character
• Yan (Russian/Bulgarian) — Slavic form of Jan

Spellings and nicknames

• Jan — The related European form

Famous bearers

• Yan Gomes — Brazilian Major League Baseball catcher (b. 1987) Contemporary

Style

International

Why parents choose it

Yan is minimal and cross-cultural; families usually bring their own specific tradition to it.

Worth knowing

• Frequently misread as Jan or Ryan