Given name & surname
Lian
“of the willow”
Lian is used as a given name and a surname. One Chinese interpretation is “of the willow.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Chinese interpretation is “of the willow.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Chinese.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1957. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Lian through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 5,705
- 4,579 boys · 1,126 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 794 babies
- 2025
- 794
- #428 for boys · #3,621 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +100%
- Rising fast
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 90% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 752 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 428 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 121.3% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 42 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (122). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 5,941 as a first name in 2020; 8,168 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.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 11
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Liamequivalent
- Lianaequivalent
- Lyanequivalent
- Linequivalent
- 廉equivalent
- 蓮equivalent
- Ryeonequivalent
- 戀equivalent
Show 3 moreShow fewer
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Lian
- Wu Lien-tehMalaysian physician (1879–1960)
- Lian RossGerman singerborn 1962
- Lian BichselSwiss ice hockey playerborn 2004
- Wang LianChinese Shu Han state official (died c. 223)
- Ju LianChinese painter (1828–1904)
- Lian LunsonAustralian film director and actressborn 1959
- Lian TranDutch tennis playerborn 2002
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Lian, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Luan
“lion”
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Asa
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89% boys · 11% girls
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“a Samurai who doesn't have a master”
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95% boys · 5% girls
Jin
“a superior woman” · “a golden child; one who is elegant”
95% boys · 5% girls
Yuan
Yuan is a surname from Mandarin.
79% boys · 21% girls