Goran
From Slavic origin, meaning "highlander" or "mountain dweller".
Name Census estimates that about 103 living Americans carry the first name Goran. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Goran today is around 37 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Goran births was 1974 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Goran. 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
103
~ 1 in 3,327,712 Americans
Peak year
1974
10 babies that year
Average age
37
years old
2012 SSA rank
#11,272
Tracked since 1973
Popularity
Goran: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Goran from the 1970s through to the 2010s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 41 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
Goran 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 Goran during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Goran
The name Goran is of Slavic origin, derived from the word "gora" which means "mountain" or "hill" in several Slavic languages. It is a masculine name that has been used predominantly in countries with Slavic cultural and linguistic influences, such as Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and parts of Russia.
The earliest recorded usage of the name Goran dates back to the Middle Ages, when it was popular among the Slavic populations of the Balkan region. It is believed that the name was initially given to children born or living in mountainous areas, reflecting the geographic and cultural significance of mountains in these regions.
One of the earliest notable figures with the name Goran was Goran Visoki, a Serbian nobleman and military commander who lived in the 14th century. He played a significant role in the Battle of Velbazhd in 1330, where Serbian forces defeated the Byzantine army.
Another historical figure bearing the name Goran was Goran Lika, a Croatian nobleman and military leader from the 15th century. He was known for his bravery and leadership during the Croatian-Ottoman wars, defending the territory of Lika against Ottoman invasions.
In the 16th century, Goran Martinović, a Serbian writer and philosopher, gained recognition for his literary works and contributions to the intellectual discourse of the time.
Moving forward to the 19th century, Goran Kovačić was a renowned Croatian writer and playwright. His works, such as "U registraturi" (In the Registry Office) and "Among the Office Clerks," provided insightful social commentary on the bureaucratic systems of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
In the 20th century, Goran Ivanišević, a Croatian professional tennis player, achieved international fame by winning the prestigious Wimbledon Championships in 2001. His remarkable career and victory at Wimbledon brought the name Goran into the global spotlight.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Goran, reflecting its longstanding presence and cultural significance in various Slavic regions.
People
Goran + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Goran as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Goran: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Goran?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 103 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Goran 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 3,327,712 US residents.
Is Goran a common name?
We classify Goran as "Very Rare". It ranks above 65% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 108 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Goran most popular?
The single biggest year for Goran was 1974, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Goran is about 37 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Goran a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Goran 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.