Lance
Boy name · #862 in 2025 · Rare
Lance ranks #862 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 279 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #604, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 6,452 boys born in 2025 was named Lance.
The 126-year story
Lance first appears in the Social Security records in 1899, when 5 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1970, when 4,160 boys were named Lance — good for #76 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Lance per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Lance against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Lance in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Lance is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Lance will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Lance is most common
Geography matters for names, and Lance is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Lance is most common in LA (0.5 per 1,000), WA (0.4 per 1,000), MO (0.4 per 1,000), FL (0.2 per 1,000), PA (0.2 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.2 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Lance is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Lance
Statistically, parents drawn to Lance tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Vance, Lawrence, Vince, Laurence, and Terrence.
VanceLawrenceVinceLaurenceTerrenceTerenceReneTerrance
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Lance | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 279 | #862 |
| 2024 | 291 | #840 |
| 2023 | 302 | #813 |
| 2022 | 320 | #788 |
| 2021 | 305 | #803 |
| 2020 | 315 | #764 |
| 2019 | 398 | #664 |
| 2018 | 394 | #651 |
| 2017 | 409 | #634 |
| 2016 | 438 | #616 |
| 2015 | 454 | #604 |
| 2014 | 512 | #541 |
| 2013 | 459 | #568 |
| 2012 | 541 | #493 |
| 2011 | 575 | #467 |
| 2010 | 604 | #443 |
| 2009 | 639 | #437 |
| 2008 | 751 | #395 |
| 2007 | 826 | #371 |
| 2006 | 1,003 | #319 |
| 2005 | 1,256 | #263 |
| 2004 | 1,161 | #275 |
| 2003 | 1,167 | #269 |
| 2002 | 1,232 | #261 |
| 2001 | 1,286 | #256 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Lance a popular boy name?
Lance ranked #862 among boys in 2025 with 279 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #604.
When was the name Lance most popular?
Lance peaked in 1970, when 4,160 American boys received the name (ranked #76 that year). Since 1970 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Lance?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 6,452 newborn American boys was named Lance. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.