Fun Facts About the Name Dalian
- 26 babies named Dalian: U.S. records list 26 babies given the name Dalian from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Dalian Mean?
Dalian is a Chinese place name, written 大连, used in English for the port city in Liaoning Province and occasionally taken as a given name. The origin of the name is not settled. The explanation most often given ties it to Dalian Bay, which older Chinese records call 褡裢湾, after the 褡裢 - a long cloth shoulder bag with a slit in the middle. The bay's two lobes joined by a narrow channel were said to resemble that bag, and the first character was later replaced by its near-homophone 大. A competing explanation derives the name from a Manchu word for "seashore" or "coast," which would fit the region's Manchu population before large-scale Chinese settlement. Both explanations are plausible and neither is conclusively documented, so the meaning is best described as uncertain.
Dalian Name History & Origins
Dalian Bay and the surrounding coast of the Liaodong Peninsula appear in Qing-era records as fishing and farming country, with villages such as Qingniwa (青泥洼) on the site of the present city. A separate strand in the name's history comes from outside China: in 1898 Russia leased the peninsula and laid out a new port city there, calling it Дальний (Dalny), meaning "the far one," while Chinese residents continued to write the name as 大连. Japan took over the lease in 1905 after the Russo-Japanese War and administered the city as 大連 (Dairen) until 1945, when the Chinese form 大连 was restored; pinyin renders it Dalian.
As a personal name, Dalian is rare in English. One bearer was the English footballer Dalian Atkinson (1968 - 2016). The name as a given name is otherwise uncommon and generally reflects the Chinese city rather than an older personal-name tradition.
How Popular is the Name Dalian?
Dalian has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2014. Its best rank was #10,916 in 2001.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #12,451 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2016 | #12,598 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2014 | #11,022 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2006 | #12,415 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 2001 | #10,916 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Dalian Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are strong in material matters, determined and stubborn. You have good business ability. You are a good worker, steady and practical, a builder who takes responsibility well. These qualities may bring you a position of authority and power. You are a doer, down-to-earth, serious-minded, reliable, and self-disciplined; have good power of concentration. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Dalian's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Dalian's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.