Milan
Milan was the 242nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,418 babies. Its best year was 2023, when it ranked 230th; the most babies were born in 2024 (1,554). Over the last ten years it has moved up 183 places. More babies were named Milan in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Slavic, Italian, Latin
Say it mih-LAHN /mɪˈlɑn/
- Rank in 2025
- #242 boys, up 189 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,418boys
- Girls and boys
- 25% girls, 75% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20241,554 babies
- Total since 1880
- 28,165babies recorded
What does the name Milan mean?
Milan has two unrelated sources. As a Slavic man's name it comes from the element mil, 'kind, dear, gracious', and Wikipedia says it began as a pet form of names starting with Mil-; it is common in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and the Balkans. As an English girl's name it is usually taken from the Italian city of Milan (Milano), from Latin Mediolanum, as Wiktionary notes. Pronunciation differs: mee-LAHN or MY-luhn.
mil (Slavic, “kind, dear, gracious”)Mediolānum (Latin, “Milan (Celtic origin)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Slavic name and Italian place name are separate sources.
Related names: Mila, Milana, Milano, Milo.
See also: Slavic names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Milan', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Milan (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Milan popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #753 | #242 | 362 | 1,418 |
| 2020 | #635 | #431 | 457 | 690 |
| 2010 | #667 | #1,238 | 435 | 143 |
| 2000 | #1,850 | #1,183 | 93 | 116 |
| 1990 | #3,334 | #1,347 | 33 | 69 |
| 1980 | — | #1,369 | — | 48 |
| 1970 | — | #1,328 | — | 40 |
| 1960 | — | #1,161 | — | 46 |
| 1950 | — | #890 | — | 60 |
| 1940 | — | #885 | — | 51 |
| 1930 | — | #752 | — | 72 |
| 1920 | — | #690 | — | 87 |
| 1910 | — | #1,175 | — | 9 |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Milan, counting every spelling?
Milan is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #239 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #242 for Milan on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,586 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milan | 1,418 | #242 | 6,366 |
| Mylan | 87 | #1,832 | 414 |
| Mylen | 22 | #4,648 | 116 |
| Malone | 19 | #5,138 | 83 |
| Millan | 20 | #4,984 | 78 |
| Mylon | 8 | #9,441 | 58 |
| Mylin | 12 | #7,065 | 37 |
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 Milan?
1,418 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Milan (0.39 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Milan 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 6 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Milan.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Milan?
About 15,900 people born in the US named Milan are alive today, with a median age of 8; half are between 3 and 16. That makes Milan 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.
Milan by state
How common Milan was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Florida (3.2×), Nevada (2.0×), New Jersey (1.8×), New York (1.5×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in South Dakota, Iowa, Arkansas.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Milan: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Milan, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Milan · Sibling names for Milan
Questions about the name Milan
What does Milan mean?
The origin of Milan is uncertain: Slavic name and Italian place name are separate sources.
How popular is the name Milan?
Milan was the 242nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,418 babies. Its best year was 2023, when it ranked 230th; the most babies were born in 2024 (1,554). Over the last ten years it has moved up 183 places. More babies were named Milan in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Milan a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 25% girls, 75% boys given the name Milan in the US.
Where is Milan most popular?
In 2021–2025, Milan was most common in Florida (2.36 per 1,000 boys), followed by Nevada and New Jersey.