Given name & surname · also Gaelic
Buchanan
Buchanan is a masculine given name from Scottish Gaelic. It is used in English and Italian.
Meaning & origin
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1996. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Buchanan through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 101
- 101 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 13 babies
- 2025
- 13
- #6,514 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +41%
- Rising
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 13 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 6,514 among boys’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 179 as a first name in 2020; 64,348 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Buchanan’s family of names
In English usage, Buchanan as a surname has a related form in BUCHANNON.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Similar names
If you love Buchanan, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Faolan
“resembling a little wolf”
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Kallan
“of the flowing water” · “powerful in battle”
83% boys · 17% girls
Callaghan
Callaghan is a masculine given name from Irish.
85% boys · 15% girls
Odhran
“refers to a pale-green color”
>99% boys
Lonan
“resembling a cloud”
>99% boys
Mckinnon
McKinnon is a surname from Scottish Gaelic. It is used in English and French.
81% boys · 19% girls
Senan
“the people's hero”
>99% boys
Quillan
“resembling a cub”
>99% boys