Given name & surname
Lathen
“a gift from God”
Lathen is a variant of Lathan. In American use, Lathan carries the interpretation “a gift from God.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Lathen is a variant of Lathan. In American use, Lathan carries the interpretation “a gift from God.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Lathen connects to the Nathan name family through Lathan. Nathan has Hebrew biblical roots and an independent history before its use as a modern short form.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
Lathen connects to the Nathan name family through Lathan. 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.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1992. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Lathen connects to the Nathan name family through Lathan. 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
Lathen through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 421
- 421 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2010
- 43 babies
- 2025
- 5
- #13,126 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- 0%
- Steady
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 5 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 13,126 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was virtually unchanged in 2021–2025 compared with 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 43 in 2010. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 370 as a first name in 2020; 317 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.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Similar names
If you love Lathen, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Davyen
“the beloved one”
>99% boys
Tahan
“encampment”
>99% boys
Kenrich
“a royal ruler” · “the champion”
>99% boys
Abiezer
“my father is help” · “father of help”
>99% boys
Nethaniah
“Yah has given”
>99% boys
Kaleb
“resembling an aggressive dog”
>99% boys
Leiden
>99% boys
Kaelen
“a mighty warrior”
90% boys · 10% girls