Given name & surname
Lathan
“a gift from God”·“he has given”·“God has given”
Lathan is a form of Nathan. Nathan’s Hebrew meaning is “he has given,” traditionally understood as “God has given.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In American use, Lathan carries the interpretation “a gift from God.” Lathan is a form of Nathan. Nathan’s Hebrew meaning is “he has given,” traditionally understood as “God has given.”
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is American.
How it developed
Lathan is used as a form of Nathan. Lathan is a form of Nathan. The shared background comes through Nathan: Nathan can stand as its own biblical name. Nathan has also been used as a short form of Nathaniel or Jonathan, but those later naming practices do not fully explain its origin.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1912. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Lathan is a form of Nathan. The history of Nathan gives this family its wider story. In the biblical account, Nathan is the prophet who confronts King David over the death of Uriah and David’s relationship with Bathsheba. Another Nathan is one of David’s sons.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Lathan through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 4,289
- 4,289 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2011
- 214 babies
- 2025
- 48
- #2,700 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −44%
- Cooling
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 48 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,700 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 44.2% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 214 in 2011. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (5). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 3,090 as a first name in 2020; 3,078 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.
Lathan’s family of names
Lathan is a form of Nathan. Lathan has a related form in Lathen. Lathan has a related form in Laton.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 10
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Lathenvariant
- Latonvariant
- Latenvariant
- Lathynvariant
- Lathonvariant
- Lathannlikely variant
- Latunvariant
- Latanvariant
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Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Lathan
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Lathan, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Kathan
“a gift from God” · “he has given”
>99% boys
Cathan
“a gift from God” · “he has given”
>99% boys
Davian
“the beloved one” · “Beloved”
>99% boys
Aldrich
“an old king”
>99% boys
Kendrick
“a royal ruler” · “the champion”
99% boys · 1% girls
Diego
“he who supplants”
>99% boys
Kerrick
“under the king's rule”
>99% boys
Kaithan
“a gift from God”
>99% boys