Lance first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Lance has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Lance

A masculine name of Celtic origin meaning "broad meadow" or "land".

Popularity of Lance by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Lance is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 100% of people named Lance being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 298 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Lance.

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 298 0
2022 317 0
2021 302 0
2020 315 0
2019 398 0
2018 394 0
2017 408 0
2016 436 0
2015 454 0
2014 510 0
2013 459 0
2012 539 0
2011 575 0
2010 603 0
2009 639 0
2008 751 0
2007 826 0
2006 1,003 0
2005 1,256 0
2004 1,161 5
2003 1,167 0
2002 1,232 0
2001 1,286 0
2000 1,221 0
1999 1,003 0
1998 880 0
1997 918 0
1996 1,048 0
1995 1,095 0
1994 1,119 0
1993 1,259 0
1992 1,507 0
1991 1,574 7
1990 1,697 5
1989 1,822 15
1988 1,892 10
1987 1,993 11
1986 2,051 11
1985 2,152 8
1984 2,136 15
1983 1,962 11
1982 1,973 14
1981 1,683 11
1980 1,787 15
1979 1,869 22
1978 1,971 11
1977 1,924 14
1976 1,737 8
1975 1,498 0
1974 1,528 7

The history of the first name Lance

The name Lance has its origins in the Late Latin word "lancea", meaning "spear" or "lance". This word was derived from the Celtic "landskia", also referring to a type of spear or lance used as a weapon in ancient times.

The name first emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 11th or 12th century, and was commonly used in countries such as France, England, and Italy. It gained popularity as a given name due to its association with the iconic weapon, which was widely used by knights and soldiers during that period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lance can be found in the 12th-century epic poem "Chanson de Roland", which tells the story of the legendary knight Roland and his comrades during the reign of Charlemagne. In this work, the name is mentioned in reference to a character named Lance, suggesting its use as a personal name at that time.

Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Lance. One of the most famous was Lance Lancelot, a legendary knight of the Round Table in Arthurian mythology, renowned for his bravery and skill in combat. Another prominent figure was Lance Armstrong, the American cyclist who won the Tour de France seven consecutive times from 1999 to 2005, though his victories were later stripped due to doping allegations.

Other notable individuals with the name Lance include Lance Corporal, a rank in the military, particularly in the British Army; Lance Henriksen, an American actor known for his roles in films such as "Aliens" and "The Terminator" (born 1940); and Lance Reddick, an American actor best known for his role as Cedric Daniels in the HBO series "The Wire" (born 1962).

Additionally, the name Lance has been mentioned in various literary works, including Shakespeare's play "Hamlet", where the character Hamlet refers to a "lancer" or "lanced" wound. This further reinforces the name's connection to the ancient weapon and its historical significance.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Lance was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Lance, please contact us.

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"Lance first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 31, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/lance-meaning-and-history/.

"Lance first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/lance-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 31 October, 2024

Lance first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/lance-meaning-and-history/.

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