Fun Facts About the Name Kwan
- 564 babies named Kwan: U.S. records list 564 babies given the name Kwan from 1880 through 2025. Even 27 girls received the name Kwan - about 1 girl for every 20 boys.
What Does the Name Kwan Mean?
Kwan is an English spelling of names from more than one language, so it does not have a single established meaning. In Thai, it is a given name from ขวัญ (khwan), meaning "soul," "spirit," or "morale." In Cantonese Chinese, Kwan is a common romanization of the surname 關 (simplified 关), whose literal sense is "gate," "pass," or "barrier"; as a verb it means "to close." In Korean, Kwan (관) is a syllable used in Sino-Korean personal names, and its meaning comes from the hanja chosen - for example, 寬 "broad, generous," 官 "official," or 觀 "to observe." When Kwan is used as a Chinese given name, it can stand for several different characters romanized the same way in Cantonese, such as 坤 "earth," 昆 "elder brother; multitude," 均 "even, equal," or 君 "lord, gentleman"; the meaning cannot be fixed without the character.
Kwan Name History & Origins
The Chinese surname 關 is old. Traditional accounts trace it to Guan Longfeng, a minister of the Xia dynasty, and to Yin Xi, the keeper of Hangu Pass, who in legend asked Laozi to write the Daodejing. Surname dictionaries also connect it to an official post in charge of passes and barriers. The surname was established in northern China by the Warring States and Han periods. Guan Yu (關羽, d. 220), the Three Kingdoms general later worshipped as a deity, is its best-known bearer. Cantonese-speaking migrants from Guangdong carried the name to Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, and Western countries, where the spelling Kwan became common. In Chinese personal names, Kwan is not a fixed given name but a romanization chosen for a particular character, so different bearers may have unrelated names that look identical in English.
Thai Kwan comes from ขวัญ (khwan), the word for the soul or vital spirit. In Thai tradition, the khwan can leave the body during illness, fright, or travel, and the bai si ceremony calls it back by tying white cotton strings around the wrists. The word has long been used in Thai personal names; in English spelling the tone and the aspirated kh are usually lost, so Kwan stands for the same name. Korean Kwan belongs to Sino-Korean naming, in which a hanja is selected for its meaning and sound and is usually combined with a second syllable. In McCune-Reischauer romanization the syllable is written Kwan; the Revised Romanization spells it Gwan. Because the same sound can be written with different hanja, Korean bearers may understand Kwan differently. These Chinese, Thai, and Korean names are unrelated despite the shared English spelling.
How Popular is the Name Kwan?
Kwan 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 1975. Its best rank was #2,172 in 1975.
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 | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | #10,046 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1973 | #9,057 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1972 | #8,913 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1971 | #8,947 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1970 | #6,682 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #10,253 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2022 | #13,474 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2020 | #7,841 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2019 | #10,357 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2018 | #7,407 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2017 | #8,535 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2016 | #11,551 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2014 | #10,260 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2013 | #8,497 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2012 | #10,327 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2011 | #13,481 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2010 | #13,431 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #8,043 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2008 | #9,500 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2007 | #7,391 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 2006 | #7,227 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 2005 | #7,440 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2004 | #7,915 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2003 | #7,589 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2002 | #7,385 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2001 | #10,004 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2000 | #5,762 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1999 | #5,201 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1998 | #5,680 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1997 | #4,834 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1996 | #5,382 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1995 | #3,638 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1994 | #4,021 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1993 | #5,216 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1992 | #5,472 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1991 | #4,364 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 1990 | #4,098 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1989 | #5,022 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1988 | #6,896 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1987 | #4,431 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1986 | #4,690 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1985 | #4,531 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1984 | #5,302 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1983 | #3,764 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1982 | #6,061 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1981 | #4,355 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1980 | #4,751 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1979 | #3,464 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1978 | #2,617 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1977 | #3,126 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1976 | #2,297 | 20 | 0.0013% |
| 1975 | #2,172 | 21 | 0.0013% |
| 1974 | #2,882 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1973 | #2,795 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1972 | #3,812 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1971 | #4,689 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1970 | #3,184 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1969 | #4,191 | 6 | 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 Kwan Shapes Your Personality and Life?
EXTREMES in fortune, health and spirituality. You are very versatile, idealistic and intuitive. You either enjoy great success or suffer abject misery. The solution is service to others. Use your leadership abilities for humanity and not for self-glorification. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
Dependable, very down-to-earth and well grounded, you are always looking for meaningful work, a career where you can take pride in your work and do the best job you are capable of. Your prime desire is to build protected and secure environment at home and at work. You can be very persuasive in achieving goals and gaining objectives. You can be very detailed and well-organized and possess great organizational skills. At times you may appear too stubborn and overly critical to others, but your practical approach to life and productivity makes you one of the most beneficent members of community.
✦ Kwan's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Kwan's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.