Lian
Boy name · #428 in 2025 · Distinctive
In 2025, 752 baby boys were named Lian, placing it at #428 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #1141, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,394 boys born in 2025 was named Lian.
Babies named Lian per year. Source: SSA.
The 41-year story
Lian first appears in the Social Security records in 1984, when 5 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 752 babies and a rank of #428. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Lian against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Lian in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Lian is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Lian is most common
Geography matters for names, and Lian is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Lian is most common in AZ (0.8 per 1,000), NJ (0.8 per 1,000), TX (0.7 per 1,000), FL (0.7 per 1,000), TN (0.7 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.5 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Lian is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Lian
Statistically, parents drawn to Lian tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Lucian, Caspian, Cillian, Cassian, and Kian.
LucianCaspianCillianCassianKianKylianElianLuan
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Lian | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 752 | #428 |
| 2024 | 595 | #512 |
| 2023 | 493 | #582 |
| 2022 | 393 | #686 |
| 2021 | 345 | #740 |
| 2020 | 293 | #792 |
| 2019 | 273 | #826 |
| 2018 | 209 | #992 |
| 2017 | 194 | #1036 |
| 2016 | 196 | #1022 |
| 2015 | 165 | #1141 |
| 2014 | 119 | #1414 |
| 2013 | 110 | #1483 |
| 2012 | 79 | #1849 |
| 2011 | 71 | #1947 |
| 2010 | 57 | #2262 |
| 2009 | 43 | #2800 |
| 2008 | 26 | #3921 |
| 2007 | 30 | #3511 |
| 2006 | 23 | #4105 |
| 2005 | 13 | #5875 |
| 2004 | 12 | #6138 |
| 2003 | 14 | #5271 |
| 2002 | 14 | #5131 |
| 2001 | 12 | #5667 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Lian a popular boy name?
Lian ranked #428 among boys in 2025 with 752 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #1141.
When was the name Lian most popular?
Lian peaked in 2025, when 752 American boys received the name (ranked #428 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Lian?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,394 newborn American boys was named Lian. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
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.