Luan
Feminine · “lion (Albanian)”
Luan is given to both — 515 girls and 1,107 boys since 1880. See Luan as a boy nameSee other names given to both
Luan is a name several languages reached on their own. In Albanian it is the everyday word for a lion and a familiar boys' name; in Brazil it is an ordinary boys' name carried by the singer Luan Santana; and it also appears as a Chinese family name.
How old is the name Luan?
Luan first appears in US birth records in 1926 — 99 years ago. The typical Luan alive today was born around 1954, making them about 71 years old. About 400 people named Luan are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Luan most popular?
Luan peaked in 1954, reaching #1836 nationally. See the whole 1954 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
The story of Luan
In Albanian, luan names the lion outright, and the word is given as a name to boys across the Albanian-speaking Balkans and among Albanian emigrants. Brazil took up Luan separately, and the sertanejo singer Luan Santana made it one of the best-known names in Brazilian popular music. The American record gathers these roads under one spelling, which is why the name leans to boys but is not given only to them.
Meaningscholars disagree
lion (Albanian)
In Albanian, luan means 'lion,' and the name is common among Albanians in Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia. The Brazilian name has no settled source. Chinese uses Luan as a surname with meanings of its own. Which road an American Luan took depends on the family.
Pronouncing Luan
loo-AHN
Albanian and Brazilian Portuguese both stress the second syllable; Portuguese nasalizes the ending slightly. English speakers often say LOO-ahn.
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1926
- Most girls named
- 195432 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1836reached in 1954
- Change vs 1968
- +14.3%8 in 1969, from 7
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Luan in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Luan in Albanian — same name
- Luan in Portuguese (Brazil) — same name
Luans among us
people named Luan are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Luan sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- A real Albanian word with a clear, strong meaning.
- Four letters, said much the same way in several languages.
- Familiar in Albanian and Brazilian families without being common in the United States.
- It sounds almost like Luann and Luanne, which are girls' names in English, so a boy called Luan will sometimes be taken for a girl on paper.
- A girl called Luan will often be assumed to be a misspelled Luann; the name leans to boys without settling there.
- Stress varies between loo-AHN and LOO-ahn, so the family's own way of saying it will need stating.
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What they receive
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Luan
Feminine
Frequently asked
- How many Luans are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 400 people named Luan are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Luan in 2025?
- Luan is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Luan with classmates?
- Luan will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More L names
The most-given names starting with L, all years combined.
Linda#902 · Lisa#987 · Laura#379 · Lauren#401 · Lillian#57 · Lori#1721 · Louise#514 · Lois#1666
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Luan? See the current top 100.
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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