UK name, mostly girls
An
A Chinese/Vietnamese feminine name meaning "Peace" or "Tranquility".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Also recorded as a boys' name in the UK, with 48 boys.
An is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for An popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2771, with 9 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2015, with 13 births.
This profile covers 149 England and Wales registrations across 23 recorded years from 2001 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 69% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 151 living people in the UK are called An. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • An ranked #2771 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 9 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2015, when 13 girls were registered as An.
- • An ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #749 in 2023.
- • An is also recorded for boys, but the girls side is the larger UK variant in these records.
- • About 151 living people in the UK are estimated to have An as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 75.6% of An registrations are for girls.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2771
2024
Births in 2024
9
Latest year
Peak year
2015
13 births
Estimated living
151
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for An
In England and Wales birth records, An has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 24.4% of registrations are for boys and 75.6% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
An registered for boys
- Ranked #2,263 in 2024
- 10 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2019 (11 births)
An registered for girls
- Ranked #2,771 in 2024
- 9 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2015 (13 births)
Meaning
What does An mean?
The name An is a short form of the Germanic name Ansgar, which means "god's spear" or "divine spear". It originated from the Old Norse elements "ans" meaning god and "gair" meaning spear. The name first appeared in written records around the 8th century AD, during the reign of the Carolingian dynasty in Europe.
The earliest known bearer of the name was Saint Ansgar, also known as the Apostle of the North, who lived from 801 to 865 AD. He was a Christian missionary who helped spread Christianity in Scandinavia. His efforts led to the conversion of many Norsemen and the establishment of churches in Denmark and Sweden.
Another notable figure with the name An was An Lushan, a famous general and rebel leader during the Tang Dynasty in China. He lived from 703 to 757 AD and led a rebellion against the Tang Empire, which ultimately failed but caused significant upheaval and instability.
In medieval Europe, the name An was sometimes used as a shortened form of other names like Andreas, Anselm, or Anthony. One example is An de Valence, a 13th-century English nobleman and military leader who fought in the Eighth Crusade and the Barons' War against King Henry III.
During the Renaissance period, the name An appeared in various literary works, including the play "An Humorous Day's Mirth" by George Chapman, published in 1599. The play features a character named An, but little is known about the significance of the name in the context of the work.
In more recent history, An Changkyun, also known as I.M, is a South Korean singer and rapper who was born in 1994. He is a member of the K-pop group Monsta X and is known for his powerful rap skills and stage presence.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
An over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as An in England and Wales, from 2001 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For An, the clearest high point is 2015. The latest England and Wales figure is 9 births in 2024, compared with 13 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
An by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether An was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #3772 | 29 | 5 |
| 2010s | #3068 | 81 | 10 |
| 2000s | #3668 | 39 | 8 |
Geography
Where An is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for An. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
An ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #749 in 2023.
Across the UK
An in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#749 in 2023
1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered
Related
Names similar to An
- Amelia 94,830
- Ava 54,556
- Amy 52,495
- Alice 46,815
- Abigail 45,658
- Amber 31,922
- Anna 27,802
- Alexandra 19,455
- Amelie 18,051
- Abbie 15,971
- Aimee 15,158
- Annabelle 15,120
FAQ
An: questions and answers
How popular is the name An in the UK right now?
In 2024, An was ranked #2771 for girls in England and Wales, with 9 births registered.
When was An most popular?
The peak year on record was 2015, with 13 babies registered as An in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of An?
A Chinese/Vietnamese feminine name meaning "Peace" or "Tranquility".
How many people are called An in the UK?
A total of 149 babies have been registered as An across the 23 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.
Where is An most common?
In the latest published local rankings, An ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #749 in 2023. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.