Ran

UnisexBoys' nameGirls' name

Multiple documented origins; meaning depends on tradition

Ran has been given to 109 babies in the U.S. since 1887. It was used fewer than 5 times in 2025, so it doesn't appear in the latest year's list — today it's a genuinely uncommon pick. Its peak year was 1979, with 8 recorded. It's used for both sexes: 86% boys, 14% girls all-time.

Babies named Ran, 2024

1 in 669,000

Ran over time, 1880–2025

BoysGirls

Based on births in the U.S. Babies given the name each year. Hover the chart — or focus it and use the arrow keys — for any year. Gaps mean the name was given fewer than 5 times that year; these counts are unpublished.

Girls or boys — Ran over time

In 2025, Ran went to 100% girls and 0% boys.

18872025

A sex is only published in years it reached five applications, so a stretch at 0% or 100% means the other side stayed under that floor — not that it was never used.

Ran: meaning, origin, and history

Multiple documented origins; meaning depends on tradition

Hebrew and Japanese

What Ran means

Ran has more than one naming route in the cited origin entries: distinct naming traditions.

Origin, language, and formation

Ran is used in English. Its origins include Hebrew and Japanese.

Ran comes through Hebrew רָן.

American usage and historical context

In the United States, 94 boys were recorded with the name Ran between 1887 and 2024. Its highest annual count was 8 in 1979; its best national rank was #1,036 in 1887.

In the United States, 15 girls were recorded with the name Ran between 2014 and 2025. Its highest annual count was 5 in 2014; its best national rank was #16,714 in 2025.

Sources & methodologyReferences, data & attribution

Meaning, origin, and language notes draw on the references below.

American popularity figures use published Social Security Administration records for this exact spelling. Counts below five for a name, sex, and year are omitted.

Wiktionary material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

How common is Ran?

Ran had fewer than 5 recorded uses in 2025, so these figures use 2024, the last year it was published.

Among all babies, 2024: 1 in 669,000; 5 of 3,342,801 births
Among boys only: 1 in 345,000; <0.01% of boys
Rank, 2024: Unranked; Fewer than 5 uses
Coin-flip room size: 463,412 kids; Even odds of a second one

Where Ran sits on the popularity scale

Rarest published (5 a year)#1 — Liam (20,818)

Chance at least one other child shares the name

If the other children were drawn at random from the 2024 national name distribution. Real classrooms cluster by region and community, so treat these as a floor, not a ceiling.

Class of 20Under 1%

Class of 30Under 1%

Grade of 100Under 1%

School of 500Under 1%

Put another way: gather 463,412 children born in 2024 and it's an even bet that one of them is another Ran. In a class of 30 the chance is Under 1%.

When Rans were born

Half of everyone ever recorded as Ran was born before 1979 — so the typical Ran is around 46 today.

Median birth year: 1979; About 46 years old
Biggest decade: 2010s; 19.1% of all use
Born in the last 25 years: 29.8%; Spread across generations
Recorded since 1950: 68; People you could plausibly meet

Choose a decade

2010s — 19.1% of all recorded uses (18).

Is Ran rising or falling?

Rank movement and count movement can disagree — the number of distinct names in use keeps growing, so a name holding a steady count still slides down the list. Both are shown.

Rank vs 1 year ago: —; Not ranked then
Rank vs 5 years ago: New entry; Not ranked then
Rank vs 10 years ago: —; Not ranked then
Births vs 10 years ago: —; Not published both years
Share of its own peak: 0%; Peak was 1979 (8)
Years since peak: 46; Years
Year-to-year steadiness: Steady; 11.1% average annual change
Best rank ever: #1,036; 1887

Ran around the world

Where Ran ranks in official birth records elsewhere in the world. Rankings only — the number of births isn’t comparable between places, so it isn’t shown.

South Australia
1981–1984
#455
in 1984

Popularity data from Consumer and Business Services (South Australia). CBS SA data under CC BY 4.0.

Ran by the numbers

The raw record for each sex the name is used for.

As a boy's name

Rank in 2025: Unranked
Trend vs 5 yrs ago: —
Best rank ever: #1,036; 1887
Peak year: 1979; 8 that year
First recorded: 1887
Last recorded: 2024
All-time count: 94
Count in 2025: Under 5

As a girl's name

Rank in 2025: #16,714
Trend vs 5 yrs ago: New entry
Best rank ever: #16,714; 2025
Peak year: 2014; 5 that year
First recorded: 2014
Last recorded: 2025
All-time count: 15
Count in 2025: 5

Names similar to Ran

Matched on shared beginnings and endings, similar length, and comparable popularity.

Rana Rane Ranav Rani Amran Ranen Ranbir Raney Ranvir Ranon Zyran Deran Fran Raniel Omran Baran Rany Tran Ranson Zahran Ranald Rangel Aaran Keeran

Sibling names for Ran

Names from the same era and popularity tier — the two things that make a sibling set feel deliberate — skipping lookalike spellings and shared initials.

For a sister

Bambi Shanika Mellissa Latosha Adria Malissa Lindy Shanta

For a brother

Delvin Leopoldo Jerod Cedrick Torrey Jed Wilfredo Kristofer

Explore around Ran

Top names of 1979, Ran's peak year The 1970s in full Other names that peaked in 1887 Boys' names starting with R