Total births
10,274
Girls' name · since 1880
Nan
Nan has 10,274 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1947 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 10,274
- total births
- 1880–2022
- years on record
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 21%
- born in that decade
Nan sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 10,274 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nan has been recorded 10,274 times among girls since 1880, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 1950s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2022.
- 10,274 total births
- 1880–2022 years on record
- 1950s peak decade
- 21% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
10,274 girls have been named Nan since 1880, peaking in the 1950s, last recorded in 2022.
- 10,274
- total births
- 1880–2022
- years on record
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 21%
- born in that decade
1950s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Nan was born in this single decade.
1947
Single peak year
255 babies were named Nan in 1947 - its busiest year on record.
Nan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Nan splits its recorded history at 1941: 53% of all births land in the more recent half, 47% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1988 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1947 peak of 255 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Nan at a glance
Last recorded 2022Peak year
1947
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1880
Nan popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2022
- Peak year (1947)
- 255
- Annual births at peak, across 143 years of records
Nan by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Nan's strongest decade.
2,181 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Nan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 322
1880s
322 births
- 1890s 405
1890s
405 births
- 1900s 457
1900s
457 births
- 1910s 825
1910s
825 births
- 1920s
1920s
1,198 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,467 births
- 1940s
1940s
2,099 births
- 1950s
1950s
2,181 births
- 1960s
1960s
877 births
- 1970s 223
1970s
223 births
- 1980s 121
1980s
121 births
- 1990s 62
1990s
62 births
- 2000s 24
2000s
24 births
- 2010s 7
2010s
7 births
- 2020s 6
2020s
6 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 2,181 births (21% of all-time use).
How Nan compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Nan's total volume
Nan vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Nan by state
Where Nan concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 720 | 7.0% |
| #2 | Texas | | 648 | 6.3% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 646 | 6.3% |
| #4 | California | | 388 | 3.8% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 373 | 3.6% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 332 | 3.2% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 312 | 3.0% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 303 | 2.9% |
New York share of Nan's total US births 7.0%
Even split
720 of 10,274 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 35 reporting states.
Nan appears in 35 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Nan? ▼
Nan has been given to 10,274 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 2022. 255 babies were born in 1947, its single highest year.
When was Nan most popular? ▼
Nan was most popular in the 1950s decade with 2,181 total births. The single peak year was 1947.
Where is Nan most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Nan are New York (720 births), Texas (648 births), Pennsylvania (646 births).
How long has the name Nan been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Nan since 1880 -- 143 years through the most recent 2022 data.
What names are similar to Nan? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Nancy, Nannie, Nanette, Nanci, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Nan's data
- Nan's decade-level peak was the 1950s (2,181 total births); usage has since declined to 6 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Nans (720 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Nan
Nearby Names Like Nan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Nan
Nancy Girl
#914 1,004,448 births
Nannie Girl
25,560 births
Nanette Girl
16,894 births
Nanci Girl
6,474 births
Nannette Girl
6,273 births
Compare Nan side by side: Nan vs Nancy Nan vs Nannie Nan vs Nanette
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Kalani #339
10,278 births · Peak 2021
Felecia
10,268 births · Peak 1963
Deidra
10,287 births · Peak 1980
Marybeth #6668
10,260 births · Peak 1961
Shantel #11292
10,260 births · Peak 1990
Lorelai #403
10,253 births · Peak 2025
Myah #1475
10,249 births · Peak 2009
Ivanna #556
10,244 births · Peak 2017
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1880–2022 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Nan: Baby Name Since 1880 - 10,274 Births, Peak 1947." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/nan. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Nan 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 June 2026.