Layan
Layan was the 831st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 329 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 619 places. More babies were named Layan in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning softness, gentleness · Arabic
Say it lay-AHN /leɪˈɑn/
- Rank in 2025
- #831 girls, up 279 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 329girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025329 babies
- Total since 1880
- 3,225babies recorded
What does the name Layan mean?
Layan is an Arabic girls' name that Wikipedia glosses "soft, gentle" and "prosperity"; it notes that Layan and the related name Leen are among the most popular girls' names in the Arab world in recent years. Wiktionary records Layan as an Arabic female name without an etymology; the meaning fits the Arabic root l-y-n, whose words mean "soft, tender, gentle".
لَيَان (Arabic, “Layan (given name)”)لَيِّن (Arabic, “soft, tender, gentle”)
How sure is this? Probable. The 'soft, gentle' gloss is from Wikipedia and the root l-y-n; Wiktionary gives no etymology for the name itself.
Pronunciation: In Arabic the second syllable is long and stressed.
See also: Arabic names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wikipedia, 'Layan', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'ليان', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'لين', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
Layan popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #831 | 329 |
| 2020 | #1,110 | 221 |
| 2010 | #2,554 | 72 |
| 2000 | #9,579 | 10 |
| 1990 | — | — |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Layan, counting every spelling?
Layan is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #777 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #831 for Layan on its own. Together these spellings went to 352 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Layan | 329 | #831 | 1,237 |
| Layaan | 17 | #6,708 | 52 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Layan?
329 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Layan (0.09 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Layan 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 25 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Layan.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Layan?
About 3,200 people born in the US named Layan are alive today, with a median age of 7; half are between 3 and 12. That makes Layan a young name: most people with it are children.
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.
Layan by state
How common Layan was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Michigan (5.5×), New York (3.1×), Virginia (2.5×), Illinois (2.4×). In 31 states fewer than five girls 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 Layan: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Layan, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Layan · Sibling names for Layan
Questions about the name Layan
What does Layan mean?
Layan means “softness, gentleness” (Arabic origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Layan?
Layan was the 831st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 329 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 619 places. More babies were named Layan in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Layan a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Layan in the US.
Where is Layan most popular?
In 2021–2025, Layan was most common in Michigan (0.84 per 1,000 girls), followed by New York and Virginia.