UK name, mostly girls
Lyan
Middle English form of the name Lilian meaning "lily, pure".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2023. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Also recorded as a boys' name in the UK, with 7 boys.
Lyan is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Lyan popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4056, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2016, with 5 births.
This profile covers 22 England and Wales registrations across 5 recorded years from 2014 to 2023. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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 100% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 22 living people in the UK are called Lyan. 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 2024 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Lyan ranked #4056 for girls in England and Wales in 2023, with 5 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2016, when 5 girls were registered as Lyan.
- • Lyan is also recorded for boys, but the girls side is the larger UK variant in these records.
- • About 22 living people in the UK are estimated to have Lyan as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 75.9% of Lyan registrations are for girls.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4056
2023
Births in 2023
5
Latest year
Peak year
2016
5 births
Estimated living
22
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Lyan
In England and Wales birth records, Lyan has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 24.1% of registrations are for boys and 75.9% 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.
Lyan registered for boys
- Ranked #4,789 in 2022
- 3 boys registered in 2022
- Peak: 2020 (4 births)
Lyan registered for girls
- Ranked #4,056 in 2023
- 5 girls registered in 2023
- Peak: 2016 (5 births)
Meaning
What does Lyan mean?
The name Lyan is believed to have originated in ancient Persia, now modern-day Iran, around the 6th century BCE. It is derived from the Persian word "lian," which means "bowl" or "vessel." The name may have been initially used to describe someone who crafted or sold ceramic bowls or vessels.
In the ancient Persian epic, the Shahnameh, written by the poet Ferdowsi in the late 10th century CE, there is a character named Lyan who was a skilled artisan and potter. This could be one of the earliest recorded instances of the name in literature.
During the Sassanid Empire in Persia (224-651 CE), the name Lyan gained popularity among the nobility and upper classes, who often commissioned intricate ceramic works from skilled potters and artisans.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Lyan was a Persian potter who lived in the city of Nishapur in the 9th century CE. His work was highly sought after and is still exhibited in museums around the world.
In the 12th century CE, Lyan al-Nishaburi was a renowned Persian mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of spherical trigonometry and celestial mechanics.
During the Timurid Dynasty in Persia (1370-1507 CE), Lyan Beg was a prominent military commander and governor who served under various Timurid rulers.
In the 16th century, Lyan al-Qazwini was a Persian scholar and author who wrote extensively on topics such as geography, history, and natural sciences.
In the late 19th century, Lyan Khan was a prominent Afghan political leader and military commander who played a significant role in the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878-1880).
While the name Lyan is not as common today as it once was in ancient Persia, it remains a part of the cultural heritage and history of the region, reflecting the rich artistic and intellectual traditions of the Persian civilization.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Lyan over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Lyan in England and Wales, from 2014 to 2023. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Lyan, the clearest high point is 2016. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2023, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Lyan by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Lyan 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 | #4200 | 14 | 3 |
| 2010s | #4894 | 8 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Lyan
- Lily 72,956
- Lucy 70,663
- Lauren 50,664
- Leah 33,185
- Lola 24,525
- Layla 24,520
- Laura 23,471
- Lilly 21,714
- Lydia 18,353
- Libby 14,515
- Lara 13,415
- Lacey 13,406
FAQ
Lyan: questions and answers
How popular is the name Lyan in the UK right now?
In 2023, Lyan was ranked #4056 for girls in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.
When was Lyan most popular?
The peak year on record was 2016, with 5 babies registered as Lyan in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Lyan?
Middle English form of the name Lilian meaning "lily, pure".
How many people are called Lyan in the UK?
A total of 22 babies have been registered as Lyan across the 5 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
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.