Tawan
A feminine Thai name meaning "celestial" or "relating to the sky".
Name Census estimates that about 388 living Americans carry the first name Tawan. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 85.3% of registrations being male. The average person named Tawan today is around 38 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tawan births was 1973 (22 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tawan. 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
388
~ 1 in 883,387 Americans
Peak year
1973
22 babies that year
Average age
38
years old
2019 SSA rank
#10,681
Tracked since 1970
Gender
Gender distribution for Tawan
Tawan leans heavily male at 85.3% of total registrations, but 60 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Tawan as a male name
- Ranked #10,681 in 2019
- 7 male births in 2019
- Peak: 1973 (17 births)
Tawan as a female name
- Ranked #12,322 in 1985
- 5 female births in 1985
- Peak: 1974 (9 births)
Popularity
Tawan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tawan 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 155 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
Tawan 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 Tawan 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 Tawan
The name Tawan is believed to have originated from the Thai language, where it means "dawn" or "daybreak." This name has been in use in Thailand and parts of Southeast Asia for centuries, with its roots tracing back to ancient Thai culture and the Tai ethnic group.
In Thai mythology and folklore, Tawan is often associated with the rising sun and the beginning of a new day, symbolizing hope, renewal, and new beginnings. The name carries a positive and auspicious connotation, making it a popular choice for parents in Thailand.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tawan can be found in the Ramakian, an ancient Thai epic poem based on the Hindu epic Ramayana. In this literary work, Tawan is mentioned as the name of a character, suggesting the name's usage in Thai culture dates back several centuries.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Tawan. One such figure was Tawan Datnali (1753-1831), a renowned Thai poet and playwright during the Ayutthaya Kingdom period. His works played a significant role in preserving and promoting Thai literature and culture.
Another prominent figure was Tawan Phanisorn (1908-1993), a Thai military officer and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Thailand from 1959 to 1963. He played a crucial role in the country's political landscape during a turbulent period.
In the realm of sports, Tawan Sriprachan (born 1983) is a Thai professional boxer who has held multiple Muay Thai and boxing titles. His accomplishments have brought honor and recognition to Thai martial arts on the international stage.
Tawan Chaisri (born 1979) is a Thai actress and model who has appeared in numerous films and television series. She is widely recognized for her talent and contribution to the Thai entertainment industry.
Tawan Wattuya (1967-2018) was a prominent Thai artist and painter known for his unique artistic style and his ability to capture the essence of Thai culture and traditions through his paintings.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Tawan. While the name has its roots in Thai culture, it has transcended borders and gained popularity in other parts of the world as well, carrying with it the symbolic meaning of a new beginning and hope.
People
Tawan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tawan as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Tawan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tawan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 388 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tawan 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 883,387 US residents.
Is Tawan a common name?
We classify Tawan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 408 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tawan most popular?
The single biggest year for Tawan was 1973, when 22 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tawan is about 38 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Tawan a male name?
Yes, 85.3% of people registered as Tawan 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.