Duan
A Chinese masculine name meaning "short" or "deficient".
Name Census estimates that about 535 living Americans carry the first name Duan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Duan today is around 42 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Duan births was 1976 (25 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Duan. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
535
~ 1 in 640,662 Americans
Peak year
1976
25 babies that year
Average age
42
years old
2019 SSA rank
#12,677
Tracked since 1953
Popularity
Duan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Duan from the 1950s through to the 2010s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 153 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Duan by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Duan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Duans live
Origin
Meaning and history of Duan
The given name Duan has its origins in Chinese culture and language, with its earliest recorded use dating back to ancient times. The name is derived from the Chinese word "duan," which means "short" or "brief." This name was likely given to individuals who were of shorter stature or as a way to express a desire for a concise or succinct life.
One of the earliest known references to the name Duan can be found in the classic Chinese text, the "Book of Documents," which dates back to the 6th century BCE. The text mentions a person named Duan Mu, who was a minister during the Xia Dynasty, one of the earliest dynasties in Chinese history.
Another notable historical figure bearing the name Duan was Duan Qirui (1842-1925), a prominent military leader and politician during the late Qing Dynasty and the early years of the Republic of China. He played a significant role in the Xinhai Revolution, which led to the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty in 1911.
In the realm of literature, Duan Chengshi (1498-1542) was a renowned scholar and writer during the Ming Dynasty. He is best known for his work "Youyang Zazhi," a collection of essays and literary works that provided valuable insights into the culture and society of that era.
Another notable figure was Duan Zhengchun (1898-1971), a prominent calligrapher and painter who played a significant role in preserving and promoting traditional Chinese arts and culture during the 20th century.
Lastly, Duan Yucai (1735-1815) was a prominent Chinese scholar and philosopher during the Qing Dynasty. He was known for his contributions to the study of Confucianism and his influential work, "Shuowen Jiezi Zhu," which provided a detailed commentary on one of the earliest Chinese dictionaries.
While the name Duan has its roots in ancient Chinese culture, it has also been adopted and used in other parts of the world, particularly in areas with significant Chinese diaspora communities. However, the historical and cultural significance of this name remains deeply rooted in its Chinese origins.
People
Duan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Duan as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Duan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Duan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 535 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Duan going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 640,662 US residents.
Is Duan a common name?
We classify Duan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 571 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Duan most popular?
The single biggest year for Duan was 1976, when 25 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Duan is about 42 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Duan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Duan in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.