Unisex name · Slavic
Milan
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: gracious, dear; a short form of Slavic Mil- namesMilan is a gender-neutral name that comes from Slavic and means "gracious, dear; a short form of Slavic Mil- names". It is used in English, Polish, Dutch, German and French.
- Meaning
- Gracious, dear; a short form of Slavic Mil- names
- Origin
- Slavic
- Gender
- Unisex
- US rank
- #753 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Milan
As a gender-neutral name, Milan comes from Slavic and means "gracious, dear; a short form of Slavic Mil- names". It is used in English, Polish, Dutch, German and French.
Its meaning puts Milan on our names that mean love list.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
Milan on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Milan on 1 list.
“Lombardy: from Roman Mediolanum, often explained as middle of the plain.”
From Italian city names, italian city names in Lombardy
How popular is Milan?
In 2025, 362 girls and 1,418 boys in the US were named Milan.
As a girl’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #753
- 362 babies, 225 per million girls
- Best rank
- #596 in 2013
- 479 babies that year
- Babies since 1969
- At least 9,557
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 0 per million |
| 1970s | 1 per million |
| 1980s | 9 per million |
| 1990s | 40 per million |
| 2000s | 105 per million |
| 2010s | 236 per million |
| 2020s | 265 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #754 | #742 | #737 | #720 | #635 | #656 | #662 | #648 | #699 | #753 |
As a boy’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #242
- 1,418 babies, 830 per million boys
- Best rank
- #230 in 2023
- Most babies: 1,554 in 2024
- Babies since 1885
- At least 18,608
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 5 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 4 per million |
| 1900s | 18 per million |
| 1910s | 72 per million |
| 1920s | 80 per million |
| 1930s | 58 per million |
| 1940s | 36 per million |
| 1950s | 27 per million |
| 1960s | 22 per million |
| 1970s | 27 per million |
| 1980s | 24 per million |
| 1990s | 43 per million |
| 2000s | 63 per million |
| 2010s | 270 per million |
| 2020s | 681 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #451 | #465 | #452 | #451 | #431 | #389 | #326 | #230 | #231 | #242 |
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.
Other forms of Milan
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- MilaGracious, dear (Slavic, girl)
- MilanaGracious, dear (Slavic, girl)
- MilenaGracious, dear (Slavic, girl)
Names spelled like Milan
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- MilaniFrom the name of the Italian city of Milan (Italian, girl)
- MulanMagnolia (Chinese, girl)
- MiraPeace, from Slavic Mir- names; in Sanskrit, sea (Slavic, girl)
- MeganA pearl (Welsh, girl)
- MiaPet form of Maria (Hebrew, girl)
- MicahWho is like Yahweh? (Hebrew, boy)
- MalakAn angel (Arabic, girl)
- MalarFlower (Tamil, girl)
- MalinWoman from Magdala (Hebrew, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- AlinaShort form of Adelina, Albina and names ending in -alina (Germanic, girl)
- CarinaDear, beloved (Latin, girl)
- LiamShort for William, will helmet (Germanic, boy)
- JanGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
- ElianVariant of names beginning with Eli, such as Elijah (Hebrew, boy)
- HansGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
- IanGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
- JackGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
- JanaGod is gracious (Hebrew, girl)
- JohannaGod is gracious (Hebrew, girl)
- JohannesGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
- EllaShort form of names such as Elisabeth and Eleonore (Germanic, girl)
- EvanGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
- GiaPet form of Gianna, God is gracious (Hebrew, girl)
- GiannaGod is gracious (Hebrew, girl)
Middle names for Milan
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More names from Slavic
- NadiaHope (Slavic, girl)
- VeraFaith, a Christian virtue (Slavic, girl)
- BogdanGiven by God (Slavic, boy)
- CasimirDestroyer of peace (Slavic, boy)
- KalinaViburnum shrub (Slavic, girl)
- WenceslasMore glory (Slavic, boy)
- BogumiłDear to God (Slavic, boy)
- BogumiłaDear to God (Slavic, girl)
- BogusławGlory of God (Slavic, boy)
- BohdanGiven by God (Slavic, boy)
- BolesławGreater glory (Slavic, boy)
- BorislavBattle glory (Slavic, boy)
- BożenaDivine, of God (Slavic, girl)
- BronisławProtection and glory (Slavic, boy)
- BronisławaProtection and glory (Slavic, girl)
- CzesławHonor and glory (Slavic, boy)
- DanicaMorning star (Slavic, girl)
- DarinaGift (Slavic, girl)
Milan: common questions
What does the name Milan mean?
Milan comes from Slavic and means "gracious, dear; a short form of Slavic Mil- names". Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Milan a boy or girl name?
Milan is used for both boys and girls. In 2025, 362 girls and 1,418 boys in the US were named Milan, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Milan come from?
Milan comes from Slavic and means "gracious, dear; a short form of Slavic Mil- names". Today it is used in English, Polish, Dutch, German and French.
How popular is the name Milan?
Milan ranked #753 in the US in 2025, with 362 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Milan?
Forms of Milan with the same meaning and origin include Mila (English), Milana (Russian) and Milena (Russian).
What middle names go with Milan?
Middle names that flow well with Milan include Dennis, Eliza, Gabrielle, Josiah and Peregrine. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.