Lance
Lance was the 862nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 279 babies. Its best year was 1970, when it ranked 76th with 4,160 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 258 places. More babies were named Lance in the 1970s than in any other decade.
Meaning land (from names in Land-) · Germanic, Old French
Say it LANS /læns/
- Rank in 2025
- #862 boys, down 97 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 279boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19704,160 babies
- Total since 1880
- 106,184babies recorded
What does the name Lance mean?
Lance comes from the medieval name Lanzo, a short form of Germanic names beginning with land 'land', as both DMNES and Wiktionary note. DMNES adds that its diminutive Lancelot, the knight of Arthurian legend, was far more popular in the Middle Ages than Lance itself. Although many people link it with the lance, the weapon, that is a folk association: the words are unrelated in origin.
land (Old High German / Old Saxon, “land”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Other explanations you may read: From lance 'spear'.
Related names: Lancelot, Lanzo, Lando.
See also: Germanic names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Lance', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Lance', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Lance popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 345 since 1956.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #862 | 279 |
| 2020 | #765 | 315 |
| 2010 | #444 | 604 |
| 2000 | #267 | 1,221 |
| 1990 | #182 | 1,697 |
| 1980 | #152 | 1,786 |
| 1970 | #76 | 4,160 |
| 1960 | #171 | 1,876 |
| 1950 | #249 | 735 |
| 1940 | #358 | 254 |
| 1930 | #1,447 | 26 |
| 1920 | #1,216 | 36 |
| 1910 | #1,734 | 5 |
| 1900 | #1,007 | 8 |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Lance, counting every spelling?
Lance has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #833 for boys in 2025, against #862 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Lance?
279 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Lance (0.08 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Lance born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 30 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Lance.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Lance?
About 91,200 people born in the US named Lance are alive today, with a median age of 46; half are between 32 and 57. That makes Lance mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Lance by state
How common Lance was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Louisiana (2.8×), Missouri (1.8×), Indiana (1.7×), Kentucky (1.7×), Minnesota (1.7×). In 18 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Lance: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Lance, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Lance · Sibling names for Lance
Questions about the name Lance
What does Lance mean?
Lance means “land (from names in Land-)” (Germanic, Old French origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Lance?
Lance was the 862nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 279 babies. Its best year was 1970, when it ranked 76th with 4,160 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 258 places. More babies were named Lance in the 1970s than in any other decade.
Is Lance a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Lance in the US.
Where is Lance most popular?
In 2021–2025, Lance was most common in Louisiana (0.49 per 1,000 boys), followed by Missouri and Indiana.