unisex name
Chan
- Origin Chinese
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 1
- Letters 4
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 1,452
Chan is a unisex name with 1 syllable. It is given to both girls and boys — about 20% of recorded births with this name are girls. In 2025 it was given to 7 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
- Chan is a name of Chinese origin.
- Peaked in 1982, when 38 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 473,709 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1919.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Chan over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1910s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 6 |
| 1920s | 19 |
| 1930s | 38 |
| 1940s | 48 |
| 1950s | 108 |
| 1960s | 132 |
| 1970s | 170 |
| 1980s | 315 |
| 1990s | 186 |
| 2000s | 115 |
| 2010s | 84 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 26 |
How popular is Chan?
In 2025, Chan was given to 7 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Where Chan is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Chan
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Chan also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Chan over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for Chan
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Chan — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Chan
How popular is the name Chan?
In 2025, Chan was given to 7 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Is Chan a girl's or a boy's name?
Chan is used for both girls and boys. About 20% of recorded births with this name are girls.
How many syllables are in Chan?
Chan has 1 syllable.
When was Chan most popular?
Chan peaked in 1982, when 38 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Chan a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Chan currently ranks #10,393 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.