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.
- #1,634 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 10,274
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak 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.
- #1,634 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 10,274 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Nan ranks #1,634 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 10,274 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #1,634 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 10,274
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
Nan's 10,274 recorded births place it above 97.74% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
35 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by New York.
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 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
1950s is the heaviest window (2,181 births, 21% of the file).
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 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% |
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
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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
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
Compare Nan side by side: Nan vs Nancy Nan vs Nannie Nan vs Nanette
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Nan: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1947)
Similar record span (~142 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, 1880–2022 (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 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 August 2026.