unisex name
San
- Origin Japanese
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 1
- Letters 3
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 2,725
San is a unisex name with 1 syllable. It is given to both girls and boys — about 69% of recorded births with this name are girls. In 2025 it was given to 13 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
- San is a name of Japanese origin.
- Peaked in 1950, when 74 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 255,037 babies in the United States is given this name.
- San started out as a girls' name and is now given almost entirely to boys.
- First appears in US birth records in 1911.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
San 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 | 17 |
| 1920s | 86 |
| 1930s | 64 |
| 1940s | 217 |
| 1950s | 485 |
| 1960s | 533 |
| 1970s | 436 |
| 1980s | 325 |
| 1990s | 187 |
| 2000s | 54 |
| 2010s | 56 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 42 |
How popular is San?
In 2025, San was given to 13 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Where San 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 San
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like San also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with San over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for San
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with San — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about San
How popular is the name San?
In 2025, San was given to 13 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Is San a girl's or a boy's name?
San is used for both girls and boys. About 69% of recorded births with this name are girls.
How many syllables are in San?
San has 1 syllable.
When was San most popular?
San peaked in 1950, when 74 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
Is San a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. San currently ranks #3,636 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.
Was San originally a boys' or girls' name?
San was given mostly to girls in the earliest US birth records and is now given almost entirely to boys.