Unisex name · since 1919
Chan
Since 1919, U.S. Social Security records show 1,035 babies named Chan, peaking in 1986. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #5,025 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #9,805 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,035
- born since 1919
- 1980s
- peak decade
1,035 babies have been named Chan since 1919, making it today's #9805 unisex name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Chan has been recorded 1,035 times among boys since 1919, currently ranked #9805 nationally and more common than 30% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1980s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1919 to 2025.
- #5,025 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #9,805 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 1,035 born since 1919
- 1980s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Chan ranks #5,025 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #9,805 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 1,035 born since 1919, peaking in the 1980s.
- #5,025 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #9,805 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,035
- born since 1919
- 1980s
- peak decade
Chan's 1,035 recorded births place it above 88.94% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 3 jurisdictions, led by California.
How Chan compares
1,035 Top 31% higher than 69% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Chan's all-time total is 180% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Chan | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,035 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 24 | 34 | 22,252 |
Chan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Chan splits its recorded history at 1980: 54% of all births land in the more recent half, 46% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1929 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1986 peak of 24 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Chan popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1919–2025
- Peak year (1986)
- 24
- Annual births at peak, across 107 years of records
Chan popularity over time - girls
212 total births recorded since 1956 (Chan as girls' name)
Chan by decade
1980s is the heaviest window (199 births, 19% of the file).
1980s was Chan's strongest decade.
199 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 19% of all-time use.
Chan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 6
1910s
6 births
- 1920s 19
1920s
19 births
- 1930s 38
1930s
38 births
- 1940s 48
1940s
48 births
- 1950s
1950s
87 births
- 1960s
1960s
127 births
- 1970s
1970s
155 births
- 1980s
1980s
199 births
- 1990s
1990s
143 births
- 2000s
2000s
103 births
- 2010s
2010s
84 births
- 2020s 26
2020s
26 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 199 births (19% of all-time use).
How Chan compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Chan's total volume
Chan by state
Where Chan concentrates geographically, total births since 1919
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 88 | 8.5% |
| #2 | Kansas | | 5 | 0.5% |
| #3 | Texas | | 5 | 0.5% |
88 of 1,035 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Chan's data
- Chan's decade-level peak was the 1980s (199 total births); usage has since declined to 26 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Chans (88 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Chan
Nearby Names Like Chan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Chan
Compare Chan side by side: Chan vs Charles Chan vs Chad Chan vs Charlie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Chan
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Chan: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1986)
Similar record span (~106 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1919–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Chan draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.