San
Primarily a girl's name of Japanese origin with 1,868 recorded births. Also given to 621 boys.
Meaning & Origin
Any of the foraging non-Bantu ethnic groups of southwestern Africa.
San is a boy's and girl's baby name of Japanese origin, from the Japanese san (三, 'three') or san (山, 'mountain') — both deeply meaningful in Japanese tradition. Three is a sacred number in many cultures, and the mountain is the ultimate symbol of permanence and aspiration in Japanese aesthetics. It also means 'honorable' as the Japanese honorific.
San carries the mountain's permanence or the number three's sacred completeness in a single syllable — a name that contains multitudes in its simplicity, the Japanese aesthetic of finding the infinite in the minimal.
EtymologyShow more
The ending of a name often carries more etymological information than the beginning. San's final sounds are clean, contemporary — among the most common endings in modern American names. In English-language naming, many feminine names end on open vowels or soft consonants, creating a melodic, approachable quality. San breaks from that pattern, giving it a more distinctive edge.
Explore the ending-based name pages on this site to find names that share San's suffix pattern — names with similar endings often share a style and era, even when they come from different linguistic backgrounds.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
San climbed 1077 spots in the last 20 years — from #18281 to #17204.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Avg Rank | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 12 | #15224 | ▲ |
| 2010s | 10 | #18525 | ▼ |
| 2000s | 20 | #18194 | ▼ |
| 1990s | 85 | #10778 | ▼ |
| 1980s | 170 | #5132 | ▼ |
| 1970s | 336 | #2589 | ▼ |
| 1960s | 460 | #1715 | ▲ |
| 1950s | 442 | #1573 | ▲ |
| 1940s | 191 | #2827 | ▲ |
| 1930s | 64 | #3574 | — |
| 1920s | 71 | #4156 | ▲ |
| 1910s | 7 | #2164 | — |
The Story of San
A Baby Boomer name
Peaking in 1950, San is a timeless Baby Boomer name. Girls named San are most likely born between 1940 and 1960.
How rare is San?
Only about 1 in every 720,000 babies born in 2024 was named San — a truly uncommon choice.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 1911, grew steadily over the decades, peaked in the 1960s with 460 births that decade, and has since become a rare, vintage choice.
San by the numbers
- Would fill 39 school buses
- Meeting one San per day would take 5.1 years
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(86 years, 1911–2024)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 5 | #17204 |
| 2021 | 7 | #13243 |
| 2016 | 5 | #18393 |
| 2015 | 5 | #18657 |
| 2007 | 5 | #19989 |
| 2004 | 5 | #18281 |
| 2001 | 5 | #17416 |
| 2000 | 5 | #17090 |
| 1999 | 6 | #14085 |
| 1998 | 5 | #16091 |
| 1997 | 7 | #11832 |
| 1996 | 7 | #11546 |
| 1995 | 7 | #11514 |
| 1994 | 7 | #11524 |
| 1993 | 10 | #8566 |
| 1992 | 9 | #9331 |
| 1991 | 13 | #6899 |
| 1990 | 14 | #6391 |
| 1989 | 11 | #7344 |
| 1988 | 13 | #6186 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
San as a Boy's Name
Though more common for girls, San has a notable history as a boy's name too, with 621 births since 1917.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is San a boy's or girl's name?
When was San most popular?
How popular is the name San?
Can San be used for both boys and girls?
Explore More
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1911–2024