Given name & surname
Yan
“God is gracious”
In Hebrew use, Yan carries the interpretation “God is gracious.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In Hebrew use, Yan carries the interpretation “God is gracious.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.
How it developed
Yan is used as a form of John.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1971. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Yan through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,085
- 986 boys · 99 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 58 babies
- 2025
- 58
- #2,386 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +25%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 58 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,386 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 34.5% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, Florida had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (11). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 16,856 as a first name in 2020; 16,716 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.
Yan’s family of names
In Filipino usage, Yan as a surname shares an earlier linguistic root with Gan. Yan is a form of John. In Breton usage, Yan has a conventional equivalent in the French form Jean.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Yan has relatives in 5 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.
5 related names in 5 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 23
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 28
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Yan
- Mo YanChinese novelist and screenwriterborn 1955
- Yan DiomandeIvorian footballerborn 2006
- Emperor Wu of JinEmperor of the Jin Dynasty from 266 to 290236–290
- Yan CoutoBrazilian footballer (born 2002)
- Yan ValeryTunisian-French footballer (born 1999)
- Wang YanChinese racewalkerborn 1971
- Yan GamarnikSoviet general (1894-1937)
- Yan FrenkelUkrainian composer (1920-1989)1924–1989
- Yan Karlovich BerzinRussian politician and diplomat (1889-1938)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Yan, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Younus
Younus is a surname from Arabic, ultimately from Hebrew.
>99% boys
Yousaf
Yousaf is a surname from Urdu, ultimately from Hebrew.
>99% boys
Tzvi
“resembling a deer”
>99% boys
Shimshon
“sun”
>99% boys
Eliam
“the God of my nation”
>99% boys
Oseias
Oseias is a masculine given name from Hebrew. It is used in Portuguese.
>99% boys
Abdias
“servant of God”
>99% boys
Ozer
“assistant, helper”
>99% boys