Lan
Fact sheet
- Name
- Lan
- Gender
- Girl name
- Syllables
- 1
Lan is a girl's name that is common in both China and Vietnam. Its meanings include 'the orchid', 'the black flower', and 'the mountain mist'.
What does the name Lan mean?
The name Lan has its roots in Chinese and stands for 'orchid' (lán, 兰), 'elegant', or also for 'mountain mist' (lán, 岚). Furthermore, Lan is used as a male first name in Slovenian, where it is a short form of Milan and carries the meaning 'of love'. This meaning traces back to the Old Slavic word milŭ (милъ) or mil (мил), which means 'kind', 'dear', 'nice', 'pleasant', 'gracious', 'loving', 'merciful', 'amiable', 'gentle', and 'mild'.
Where does the name Lan come from?
The first name Lan has both Old Slavic and Chinese roots and means 'the orchid'. In Chinese, the word consists of lán (兰) for 'orchid' and elegant as well as lán (岚) for 'mountain mist'. In Old Slavic, the name comes from milŭ or mil, meaning 'kind' or 'dear'. The name is widespread in various languages, including Chinese, Mandarin, Slovenian, and Vietnamese.
How do you pronounce Lan?
Lan is pronounced like 'Lan' in 'Land', but without the 'd'.
Popularity
In Germany, Lan is a relatively sought-after first name. In 2022, it ranked 2,235th on the list of the most common female first names. Its best placement was in 2016 at rank 986. In the last ten years, the name has been given about 90 times, placing it at 2,711th in the ten-year statistics. Between 2010 and 2024, Lan ranks 2,512th.
Nicknames & pet names
Lanchen / Lani
Famous people
- Ki-lan Koo (volleyball player from Germany)
- Kwai-lan Mok (Dutch martial artist)
- Lan Bale (tennis player from South Africa)
- Lan Bastian (Indonesian footballer)
- Lan Cao (writer from the USA)
- Lan Jiang (Chinese sprinter)
- Lan Law (Hong Kong actress)
- Lan Le Nhi (Vietnamese fencer)
- Lan Li (Chinese handball player)
- Lan Liu (swimmer from China)
- Lan Lixin (Chinese)
- Lan Lu (badminton player from China)
- Lan Ma (Chinese actress)
- Lan Medina (artist from the Philippines)
- Lan Qin (Chinese actress)
- Lan Samantha Chang (writer from America)
- Lan Shui (Singaporean musician)
- Lan Tirc (Slovenian football player)
- Lan Tung (Canadian musician)
- Lan Vien Che (writer from Vietnam)
Frequently asked questions about the name Lan
What is the origin of the name Lan?
The first name Lan has both Chinese and Old Slavic roots. In Chinese, it means 'orchid' or 'mountain mist', while in Slovenian it is used as a short form of Milan and means 'of love'.
What does the name Lan mean?
Lan stands in Chinese for 'orchid' and 'elegant' as well as for 'mountain mist'. In Old Slavic, the name derives from milŭ, which means 'kind', 'dear', or 'gracious'.
How popular is the name Lan?
The popularity of the name Lan varies by region. In Asian countries, especially in China and Vietnam, the name is widely used, while it is also utilized in European countries like Slovenia.