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Lian
OriginVariation of Leon or German short form of Julian, Chinese
Meaning"waterfall; lotus"
US Rank#428
Top 1000
About Lian
As a masculine name, Lian has historically been used as a nickname for names such as Julian and Killian, particularly in Europe. It’s also a unisex Chinese name pronounced as a single syllable.
Lian recently joined the US pop charts as an alternative spelling of Leon, particularly used among Hispanic parents.
Pronounced LEE-ahn.
As of October 2026, Lian ranked #428 in US births in 2025 SSA, Nameberry popularity #786.
Editor's take: The name Lian is a boy's name meaning "waterfall; lotus".
Popularity & trends
US popularity — history
US rank, lower is more popular · SSA data 2014–2025
Actual · SSA
20142025
18802025
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #1,419 | 119 | 62 |
| 2015 | #1,145 | 165 | 86.1 |
| 2016 | #1,025 | 196 | 103.3 |
| 2017 | #1,039 | 194 | 104.8 |
| 2018 | #994 | 209 | 115.1 |
| 2019 | #829 | 273 | 152.2 |
| 2020 | #793 | 293 | 169.7 |
| 2021 | #740 | 345 | 197.2 |
| 2022 | #688 | 392 | 224.5 |
| 2023 | #584 | 492 | 287.6 |
| 2024 | #514 | 594 | 344.8 |
| 2025 | #428 | 752 | 440.3 |
World rankings
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