Unisex name · Japanese
Ran
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: orchidRan is a gender-neutral name that comes from Japanese and means "orchid". It is used in Japanese.
- Meaning
- Orchid
- Origin
- Japanese
- Gender
- Unisex
- Say it
- RAHN
Meaning and origin of Ran
As a girl's name, Ran comes from Japanese and means "orchid". It is used in Japanese.
As a boy's name, Ran comes from Japanese and means "indigo". It is used in Japanese.
Say it RAHN. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
How to write Ran in Japanese
In hiragana, Ran is らん. In kanji it can be written several ways, and each choice gives the name its own meaning. These are spellings used for the name, with what each kanji means.
| Kanji | Reading | What the kanji mean |
|---|---|---|
| 蘭 | らん | 蘭 orchid |
| 藍 | らん | 藍 indigo |
Kanji and readings from the JMnedict and KANJIDIC2 dictionaries (EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0), checked by our editors.
Ran on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Ran on 6 lists.
“蘭: orchid. Short and striking”
From Anime girl names, anime girl names that mean flower
“Orchid (depends on characters); Japanese 蘭. Say RAHN”
From Flower names for girls, japanese flower names
“Sea goddess who gathers drowning sailors in her net”
From Goddess names, norse goddess names
“Indigo, the deep blue dye; tied eighth in 2025.”
From Japanese boy names, popular Japanese boy names in 2025
“Orchid; a short, elegant flower name.”
From Japanese girl names, japanese flower names for girls
“Norse sea goddess who gathers the drowned in her net”
From Names that mean death, norse, Celtic and Slavic death names
How popular is Ran?
As a girl’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #16,718
- 5 babies, 3 per million girls
- Best rank
- #16,718 in 2025
- Most babies: 5 in 2014
- Babies since 2014
- At least 15
- 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 | 0 per million |
| 1980s | 0 per million |
| 1990s | 0 per million |
| 2000s | 0 per million |
| 2010s | 1 per million |
| 2020s | 1 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #18,267 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | #16,718 |
As a boy’s name
- Recent US rank
- Fewer than 5 babies in 2025
- Best rank
- #1,036 in 1887
- Most babies: 8 in 1979
- Babies since 1887
- At least 94
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 5 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 2 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 1 per million |
| 1970s | 0 per million |
| 1980s | 1 per million |
| 1990s | 0 per million |
| 2000s | 0 per million |
| 2010s | 1 per million |
| 2020s | 1 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | #13,705 | #13,779 | – |
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 Ran
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- RabBright fame (Germanic, boy)
- RainRain (Old English, unisex)
- RajKing, rule (Sanskrit, boy)
- RamPleasing, charming (Sanskrit, boy)
- RanaTo gaze, look intently (Arabic, girl)
- RaniQueen (Sanskrit, girl)
- RayCounsel protector (Germanic, boy)
- RazSecret (Hebrew, unisex)
- RenLotus; love (depends on characters) (Japanese, unisex)
Names with a similar meaning
- CataleyaFrom cattleya, an orchid named for William Cattley (English, girl)
- LanOrchid (depends on characters) (Chinese, girl)
Middle names for Ran
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- AlexandraDefender of men (Greek, girl)
- AnastasiaResurrection, rising again (Greek, girl)
- ArcherBowman (Old French, boy)
- AsherHappy, blessed (Hebrew, boy)
- BlairPlain, field (Scottish Gaelic, unisex)
- CedarFragrant evergreen tree (English, boy)
- ConstantineConstant, steadfast (Latin, boy)
- PeterRock, stone (Greek, boy)
More names from Japanese
- AiLove; indigo (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- KaiSea (Japanese, boy)
- AikoBeloved child (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- AimiLove and beauty, written 愛美 (Japanese, girl)
- AkaneDeep red, madder (Japanese, girl)
- AkariLamplight (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- AkemiBright beauty (Japanese, girl)
- AkiSecond and hope, written 亜希 (Japanese, girl)
- AkihikoBright prince (depends on kanji) (Japanese, boy)
- AkihiroBright and wide (depends on characters) (Japanese, boy)
Ran: common questions
What does the name Ran mean?
Ran comes from Japanese and means "orchid". It also has another origin: "indigo" from Japanese.
Is Ran a boy or girl name?
Ran is used for both boys and girls.
Where does the name Ran come from?
Ran comes from Japanese and means "orchid". Today it is used in Japanese.
How do you pronounce Ran?
Say RAHN. Pronunciation can vary between languages and regions.
How do you write Ran in Japanese?
Ran is written らん in hiragana. Kanji spellings include 蘭 (orchid) and 藍 (indigo). The kanji parents choose decide what the name means.
How popular is the name Ran?
Ran ranked #16,718 in the US in 2025, with 5 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Ran?
Names spelled like Ran include Rab, Rain, Raj, Ram and Rana.
What middle names go with Ran?
Middle names that flow well with Ran include Alexandra, Anastasia, Archer, Asher and Blair. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.