Fun Facts About the Name Lathen
- 421 babies named Lathen: U.S. records list 421 babies given the name Lathen from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Lathen Mean?
Lathen is uncommon as a given name, and no reliable etymology specific to its use as a personal name is documented. The spelling is best known in two other roles: as an English surname and as a place name in Germany.
It resembles English surname-derived names such as Latham and Lathan, and the given name Layton, but names that look alike do not necessarily share an origin, and no documented link between Lathen and any of those names has been established. On the available evidence, the meaning of Lathen as a first name is uncertain.
Lathen Name History & Origins
As a personal name, Lathen has no clear documented history of its own. The spelling is attested primarily as a surname and as a place name rather than as an inherited given name with a traceable line of development through earlier languages.
The longest-established use of the spelling is geographical: Lathen is a municipality in the Emsland district of Lower Saxony in northwestern Germany. That place name does not show that Lathen was ever a traditional German given name.
In English the form is chiefly a surname. It is familiar to readers of mystery fiction through the pen name "Emma Lathen," used by the American writers Mary Jane Latsis and Martha Henissart and formed from parts of their surnames. That is a use of the name as a pseudonymous surname, not evidence about Lathen as a first name.
How Popular is the Name Lathen?
Lathen 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 2010. Its best rank was #2,812 in 2010.
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 | #13,126 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2024 | #11,733 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2023 | #5,372 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 2022 | #7,063 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2021 | #5,915 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2020 | #13,257 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2019 | #5,986 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2018 | #10,290 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2017 | #4,853 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2016 | #8,546 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2015 | #7,817 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2014 | #6,491 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2013 | #4,404 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 2012 | #5,622 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2011 | #4,299 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 2010 | #2,812 | 43 | 0.0022% |
| 2009 | #4,523 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 2008 | #5,667 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2007 | #4,733 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 2006 | #5,212 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 2005 | #4,750 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2004 | #6,368 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2003 | #4,062 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 2002 | #6,835 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2001 | #8,011 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2000 | #7,170 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1999 | #5,526 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1997 | #6,404 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1992 | #6,453 | 8 | 0.0004% |
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 Lathen Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You always bring to completion anything you start. You are generous but like to see returns from your giving. You have an executive ability, you are a leader. You are moral, balanced, honest and intellectual, and you may attain spirituality. You are wise and practical with an appreciation of beauty. You always think before you act. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Lathen's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Lathen's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.