Stran
A masculine name derived from the Scottish word "stran" meaning "wanderer".
Name Census estimates that about 147 living Americans carry the first name Stran. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Stran today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Stran births was 2001 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Stran. 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
147
~ 1 in 2,331,662 Americans
Peak year
2001
13 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2019 SSA rank
#13,868
Tracked since 1999
Census
Stran in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 152 people with the first name Stran, which placed it at #44,992 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
#44,992
National first-name rank
People counted
152
152 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
83.6% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Stran
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Stran is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (14.5%) and Hispanic (1.3%). 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 Stran 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 Stran at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.6% · 127
- American Indian and Alaska Native14.5% · 22
- Hispanic or Latino1.3% · 2
- Two or more races0.7% · 1
Popularity
Stran: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Stran from the 1990s through to the 2010s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 77 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
Stran 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 Stran during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Strans live
Origin
Meaning and history of Stran
The name Stran is an ancient one, with its origins rooted in the rugged mountainous regions of central Europe. Its earliest documented use dates back to the 6th century BCE when it was adopted by a Germanic tribe known as the Venedi, who inhabited the area now known as modern-day Poland and Belarus. Derived from the Proto-Germanic word "stranan," which translates to "wanderer" or "traveler," the name was likely bestowed upon those who embarked on long journeys or migration routes.
While its precise etymology remains uncertain, some scholars suggest a connection to the Sanskrit word "strana," meaning "place" or "abode." This linguistic link points to the possibility that the name may have originated with nomadic peoples who roamed across the vast expanse of the Eurasian steppes, seeking new lands to call their own.
In the annals of antiquity, the name Stran finds mention in the Norse sagas, where it was borne by a legendary warrior who fought alongside the legendary Viking chieftain, Ragnar Lothbrok. This figure, known as Stran the Fearless, is said to have displayed unparalleled bravery and valor in numerous battles against rival clans and foreign invaders.
The 10th century saw the rise of a powerful Slavic ruler named Stran Veliky, who unified the fractured tribes of what is now modern-day Ukraine. His reign marked a period of cultural renaissance and territorial expansion, cementing his place in the region's history as a formidable leader and statesman.
In the realm of literature, the name Stran gained prominence through the works of the celebrated 14th-century Czech author, Stran Zhizka. His epic poems and ballads vividly captured the struggles and triumphs of the Bohemian people, earning him a revered status among the literary elite of his time.
Fast-forwarding to the 18th century, we encounter Stran von Neumann, a brilliant mathematician and polymath whose groundbreaking contributions to fields such as game theory, quantum mechanics, and computer science laid the foundations for modern technology. His exceptional intellect and visionary thinking earned him numerous accolades and a place among the most influential minds of the 20th century.
Throughout the centuries, the name Stran has been carried by a diverse array of individuals, from humble artisans and craftsmen to esteemed scholars and military leaders. While its popularity may have waxed and waned across different eras and regions, the name's rich historical tapestry serves as a testament to its enduring legacy and the remarkable individuals who have borne it.
People
Stran + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Stran as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Stran: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Stran?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 147 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Stran 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 2,331,662 US residents.
Is Stran a common name?
We classify Stran as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 149 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Stran most popular?
The single biggest year for Stran was 2001, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Stran is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Stran in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 152 people with the name Stran, or 0.05 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #44,992 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 Stran 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 Stran?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Stran leans strongly male. 145 people counted with this name were male (97.3%), compared with 4 female bearers (2.7%). 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 Stran?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Stran is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (14.5%) and Hispanic (1.3%). 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 Stran most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Stran in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.6% (127 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 Stran in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Stran a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Stran 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 Stran still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Stran 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 Stran 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 many people share the name Stran?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.