Boys' name · since 1976
Tan
Tan has 586 recorded births since 1976 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1985 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #7,174 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 586
- born since 1976
- 1980s
- peak decade
Tan sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 586 recorded since 1976.
Social Security Administration records show Tan recorded 586 times among boys since 1976, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1976 to 2019.
- #7,174 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 586 born since 1976
- 1980s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Tan ranks #7,174 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 586 born since 1976, peaking in the 1980s.
- #7,174 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 586
- born since 1976
- 1980s
- peak decade
Tan's 586 recorded births place it above 84.21% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 3 jurisdictions, led by California.
Tan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Tan's full recorded timeline at 1995, 41% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 59% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1976, with just 6 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1985 peak of 29 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Tan popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1976–2019
- Peak year (1985)
- 29
- Annual births at peak, across 44 years of records
Tan popularity over time - girls
11 total births recorded since 1979 (Tan as girls' name)
Tan by decade
1980s is the heaviest window (202 births, 34% of the file).
1980s was Tan's strongest decade.
202 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 34% of all-time use.
Tan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 39
1970s
39 births
- 1980s
1980s
202 births
- 1990s
1990s
178 births
- 2000s
2000s
120 births
- 2010s 47
2010s
47 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 202 births (34% of all-time use).
How Tan 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 Tan's total volume
Tan by state
Where Tan concentrates geographically, total births since 1976
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 91 | 15.5% |
| #2 | Texas | | 10 | 1.7% |
| #3 | Louisiana | | 5 | 0.9% |
91 of 586 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Tan's data
- Tan's decade-level peak was the 1980s (202 total births); usage has since declined to 47 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Tans (91 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 Tan
Nearby Names Like Tan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Tan
Compare Tan side by side: Tan vs Tanner Tan vs Tandy Tan vs Taner
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Tan: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1985)
Similar record span (~43 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, 1976–2019 (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 Tan 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.