Lian
A feminine Chinese name meaning "lotus flower".
Name Census estimates that about 4,855 living Americans carry the first name Lian. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 77.9% of registrations being male. The average person named Lian today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lian births was 2024 (626 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lian. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Lian with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Lian was once a predominantly female name but has become increasingly popular for boys in recent decades.
- • Lian is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 10 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
4.9K
~ 1 in 70,598 Americans
Peak year
2024
626 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#514
Tracked since 1957
Census
Lian in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 5,942 people with the first name Lian, which placed it at #3,489 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#3,489
National first-name rank
People counted
5.9K
5,942 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
2.0
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Asian and Pacific Islander
50.0% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lian
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Lian is Asian/Pacific Islander at 50.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (28.1%) and White (15.5%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Lian described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Lian at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander50.0% · 2,969
- Hispanic or Latino28.1% · 1,668
- White15.5% · 921
- Two or more races3.6% · 212
- Black or African American2.6% · 153
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 19
Gender
Gender distribution for Lian
Lian is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 4,908 total registrations, 3,824 (77.9%) were male and 1,084 (22.1%) were female.
Lian as a male name
- Ranked #514 in 2024
- 594 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (594 births)
Lian as a female name
- Ranked #4,417 in 2024
- 32 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2017 (50 births)
2020 Census snapshot
The 2020 Census sex table shows Lian on both sides of the split. Of the 5,941 people counted with this name, 3,366 were male (56.7%) and 2,575 were female (43.3%).
Popularity
Lian: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lian from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 2,305 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lian 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 Lian during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Lians live
The SSA's state-level files cover 35 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Lian, while South Carolina, Arkansas, Kentucky recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 94 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Lian
The name Lian has its origins in various cultures and languages around the world. In Chinese, the name is often written as 莲 or 连, and it means "lotus" or "to connect/unite". The lotus flower holds significant symbolism in Buddhism, representing purity, enlightenment, and spiritual awakening.
In Vietnamese, the name Lian is a variation of the name Lien, which also means "lotus". This name is popular among Vietnamese families, particularly those with Buddhist influences or connections to the natural world.
The name Lian can also be found in Irish and Scottish Gaelic traditions, where it is derived from the name Liam, meaning "strong-willed warrior" or "protector". This variation is often seen as a feminine form of the name.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Lian dates back to ancient China, where it appeared in various literary works and historical records. In the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), there was a renowned poet and calligrapher named Lian Po, who was celebrated for his artistic talents and contributions to Chinese literature.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Lian. In the 20th century, Lian Gong (1919-2003) was a Chinese artist and sculptor known for her works that blended traditional Chinese techniques with modern sensibilities. Her sculptures can be found in prominent museums and collections around the world.
Another famous bearer of the name is Lian Ski (1945-2022), a Norwegian singer and songwriter who gained popularity in the 1960s and 1970s with her folk-inspired music. She was a prominent figure in the Norwegian music scene and received numerous awards and accolades for her contributions.
In the literary world, Lian Hearn is the pen name of Gillian Rubinstein (born 1959), a British-Australian writer best known for her historical fiction series, "Tales of the Otori", which is set in a fictional medieval Japan.
Lian Chikako (born 1958) is a Japanese actress and singer who has appeared in numerous films, television shows, and stage productions throughout her career. She is also known for her philanthropic efforts and advocacy work.
Lastly, Lian Skaf (born 1973) is a Lebanese-Australian fashion designer and entrepreneur. She founded the successful fashion label Lian Skaf and has been recognized for her elegant and sophisticated designs, which have been worn by numerous celebrities and public figures.
People
Lian + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lian 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
Lian: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lian?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4,855 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lian 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 70,598 US residents.
Is Lian a common name?
We classify Lian as "Rare". It ranks above 96.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 4,908 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lian most popular?
The single biggest year for Lian was 2024, when 626 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lian is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Lian in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 5,942 people with the name Lian, or 1.97 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #3,489 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Lian in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Lian?
The 2020 Census sex table shows Lian on both sides of the split. Of the 5,941 people counted with this name, 3,366 were male (56.7%) and 2,575 were female (43.3%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Lian?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Lian is Asian/Pacific Islander at 50.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (28.1%) and White (15.5%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Lian most often in the Census?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest reported group for people named Lian in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.0% (2,969 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Lian in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Lian a male name?
Yes, 77.9% of people registered as Lian 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.
Is Lian still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Lian in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Lian can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
How common is the name Lian?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.