UK name, mostly boys
Han
A Chinese masculine name meaning bright or radiant.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2021. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Also recorded as a girls' name in the UK, with 56 girls.
Han is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Han popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2021 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3017, with 6 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2008, with 9 births.
This profile covers 93 England and Wales registrations across 16 recorded years from 1998 to 2021. 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 67% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 95 living people in the UK are called Han. 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 2022 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Han ranked #3017 for boys in England and Wales in 2021, with 6 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2008, when 9 boys were registered as Han.
- • Han ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #707 in 2016.
- • Han is also recorded for girls, but the boys side is the larger UK variant in these records.
- • About 95 living people in the UK are estimated to have Han as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 62.4% of Han registrations are for boys.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3017
2021
Births in 2021
6
Latest year
Peak year
2008
9 births
Estimated living
95
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Han
In England and Wales birth records, Han has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 62.4% of registrations are for boys and 37.6% 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.
Han registered for boys
- Ranked #3,017 in 2021
- 6 boys registered in 2021
- Peak: 2008 (9 births)
Han registered for girls
- Ranked #5,891 in 2024
- 3 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2014 (8 births)
Meaning
What does Han mean?
The name Han has its origins in the Chinese language and culture, dating back to ancient times. It is a single-syllable name that was commonly used as a given name in various regions of China.
The name Han is believed to be derived from the Chinese word "han," which means "great" or "grand." It is also thought to have connections to the Han Dynasty, a powerful imperial dynasty that ruled China from 206 BCE to 220 CE, and the ethnic Han Chinese people, who make up the majority of the population in China.
In ancient Chinese literature and historical records, the name Han appears in various contexts. One notable example is Han Xin, a famous military general who lived during the Han Dynasty and played a crucial role in the founding of the dynasty. Another notable figure is Han Yu, a renowned writer, philosopher, and politician who lived during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE).
Among the earliest recorded examples of the name Han is Han Gaozu, the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty, who reigned from 206 BCE to 195 BCE. He was born Liu Bang and later adopted the name Han as his imperial name.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the given name Han. Here are five examples:
1. Han Feizi (around 280-233 BCE): A famous Chinese philosopher and writer who was one of the principal philosophers of the Legalist school of thought.
2. Han Wudi (156-87 BCE): The seventh emperor of the Han Dynasty, known for his military conquests and territorial expansion.
3. Han Xizai (fl. 578-559 BCE): A Chinese philosopher and scholar who was a contemporary of Confucius and is considered one of the most influential thinkers of the Spring and Autumn period.
4. Han Tuozhou (1320-1389): A famous Chinese painter and calligrapher during the Yuan and Ming dynasties.
5. Han Yongun (1879-1944): A Korean Buddhist monk, writer, and independence activist who played a significant role in the Korean independence movement against Japanese colonial rule.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the given name Han, reflecting its deep roots and significance in Chinese and East Asian cultures.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Han over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Han in England and Wales, from 1998 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 Han, the clearest high point is 2008. The latest England and Wales figure is 6 births in 2021, compared with 9 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Han by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Han 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 | #3017 | 6 | 1 |
| 2010s | #2796 | 41 | 6 |
| 2000s | #2723 | 43 | 8 |
| 1990s | #2901 | 3 | 1 |
Geography
Where Han is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Han. 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.
Han ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #707 in 2016.
Across the UK
Han in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#707 in 2016
1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered
Related
Names similar to Han
- Harry 141,693
- Henry 65,177
- Harrison 45,958
- Harvey 35,648
- Harley 22,095
- Hugo 18,779
- Hayden 12,622
- Hunter 10,350
- Hudson 9,104
- Hamza 8,564
- Hassan 5,982
- Hasan 3,599
FAQ
Han: questions and answers
How popular is the name Han in the UK right now?
In 2021, Han was ranked #3017 for boys in England and Wales, with 6 births registered.
When was Han most popular?
The peak year on record was 2008, with 9 babies registered as Han in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Han?
A Chinese masculine name meaning bright or radiant.
How many people are called Han in the UK?
A total of 93 babies have been registered as Han across the 16 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.
Where is Han most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Han ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #707 in 2016. 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.