Boy name · Korean
Chan
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: brilliant, dazzling (depends on hanja)Chan is a boy's name that comes from Korean and means "brilliant, dazzling (depends on hanja)". It is used in Korean.
- Meaning
- Brilliant, dazzling (depends on hanja)
- Origin
- Korean
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #9885 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Chan
As a boy's name, Chan comes from Korean and means "brilliant, dazzling (depends on hanja)". It is used in Korean.
Chan is also a surname: the 384th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 81,431 people. See the most common last names.
Its meaning puts Chan on our names that mean light list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Chan on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Chan on 3 lists.
“Cantonese spelling of Chen, an ancient state”
From Chinese last names, cantonese and Hokkien spellings of Chinese surnames
“燦 brilliant, dazzling; Sino-Korean. Say chahn”
From Korean boy names, one-syllable Korean boy names
“Yucatec Maya for small; the most common Maya surname in Yucatán, and also a common Chinese surname”
From Mexican last names, nahuatl and Maya surnames
How popular is Chan?
- US rank in 2025
- #9,885
- 7 babies, 4 per million boys
- Best rank
- #1,779 in 1965
- Most babies: 24 in 1986
- Babies since 1919
- At least 1,035
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 1 per million |
| 1920s | 2 per million |
| 1930s | 4 per million |
| 1940s | 3 per million |
| 1950s | 4 per million |
| 1960s | 7 per million |
| 1970s | 9 per million |
| 1980s | 11 per million |
| 1990s | 7 per million |
| 2000s | 5 per million |
| 2010s | 4 per million |
| 2020s | 3 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,423 | #7,179 | #7,213 | #9,045 | – | #12,473 | #9,144 | – | #11,186 | #9,885 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Chan
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- CanSoul, life (Persian, boy)
- ChanuBrilliant universe (depends on hanja) (Korean, boy)
- CianAncient, enduring (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- CihanWorld (Persian, unisex)
- CúánLittle wolf or little hound (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- ConanLittle hound or little wolf (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- CahalBattle ruler (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- CathánLittle battler (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- ChaimLife, living (Hebrew, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- AzharBrilliant, radiant (Arabic, boy)
- ChanyeolBrilliant and ardent (depends on hanja) (Korean, boy)
- ChitraBright, brilliant, the star Spica (Sanskrit, girl)
- FerayBrilliant moon (Turkish, girl)
- HwanShining, brilliant (depends on hanja) (Korean, boy)
Middle names for Chan
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Korean
- BadaSea, a native Korean word (Korean, unisex)
- ByeongcheolBright and wise (depends on hanja) (Korean, boy)
- ByeonghoBright and vast (depends on hanja) (Korean, boy)
- CheolWise; iron (depends on characters) (Korean, boy)
- CheolsuWise and outstanding (depends on hanja) (Korean, boy)
- DaehoGreat and vast (depends on hanja) (Korean, boy)
- DaehyeonGreat and virtuous (depends on characters) (Korean, boy)
- DohyeonPath of virtue (depends on characters) (Korean, boy)
- DojunThe way, talented (depends on hanja) (Korean, boy)
- DonghyeonVirtue of the east (depends on hanja) (Korean, boy)
Chan: common questions
What does the name Chan mean?
Chan comes from Korean and means "brilliant, dazzling (depends on hanja)".
Is Chan a boy or girl name?
Chan is mainly a boy's name.
Where does the name Chan come from?
Chan comes from Korean and means "brilliant, dazzling (depends on hanja)". Today it is used in Korean.
How popular is the name Chan?
Chan ranked #9,885 in the US in 2025, with 7 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Chan?
Names spelled like Chan include Can, Chanu, Cian, Cihan and Cúán.
What middle names go with Chan?
Middle names that flow well with Chan include Alexander, Bennett, Dennis, Forest and Marshall. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.