Lanna
A feminine Thai name meaning "million rice fields", occasionally associated with loveliness.
Name Census estimates that about 1,808 living Americans carry the first name Lanna. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Lanna today is around 37 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lanna births was 2014 (47 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lanna. 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
1.8K
~ 1 in 189,577 Americans
Peak year
2014
47 babies that year
Average age
37
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,268
Tracked since 1919
Popularity
Lanna: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lanna from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 355 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lanna 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 Lanna during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Lannas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. Texas, California, Georgia recorded the most babies named Lanna, while Mississippi, Kentucky, Georgia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 31 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Lanna
The name Lanna has its roots in the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit. It is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit word "lanna," which means "to give" or "to grant." This name was commonly used in the Indian subcontinent during the classical period, which spanned from the 3rd century BCE to the 6th century CE.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lanna can be found in the Hindu epic, the Mahabharata. In this ancient text, Lanna is mentioned as the name of a character who was a celebrated warrior and a skilled archer. This reference suggests that the name was in use among the warrior classes of ancient India.
During the medieval period, the name Lanna gained popularity in various parts of Southeast Asia, particularly in the region now known as Thailand. In the 13th century, the Lanna Kingdom, centered in present-day northern Thailand, was established by King Mengrai. The kingdom was named after the Sanskrit word "lanna," which was likely a reference to the fertility and abundance of the region.
Throughout history, there have been several notable figures who bore the name Lanna. One of the most famous was Lanna Svami (1824-1898), a renowned Indian spiritual leader and founder of the Radha Soami faith. Another notable figure was Lanna Beel (1905-1992), an American journalist and author who wrote extensively about her travels in Southeast Asia.
In the literary world, Lanna Cooke (1923-2015) was a British writer and poet who published several collections of poetry and short stories. Lanna Idriss (1936-2021) was an Egyptian actress and singer who achieved fame in the 1960s and 1970s for her roles in various Egyptian films and television shows.
Lanna Kathina (born 1982) is a contemporary Thai-American artist and fashion designer who has gained recognition for her unique and sustainable fashion creations. She is known for incorporating traditional Thai techniques and materials into her designs.
While the name Lanna has its origins in ancient Sanskrit and was prominent in various regions throughout history, it has maintained a timeless quality and continues to be used as a given name in modern times.
People
Lanna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lanna as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Lanna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lanna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,808 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lanna 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 189,577 US residents.
Is Lanna a common name?
We classify Lanna as "Rare". It ranks above 93.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,096 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lanna most popular?
The single biggest year for Lanna was 2014, when 47 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lanna is about 37 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Lanna a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lanna in the SSA data are female. 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.