Fun Facts About the Name Loan
- 458 babies named Loan: U.S. records list 458 babies given the name Loan from 1880 through 2025. Even 32 boys received the name Loan - about 1 boy for every 13 girls.
What Does the Name Loan Mean?
Loan is a Vietnamese given name, usually feminine, meaning "phoenix." It is the Sino-Vietnamese reading of the Chinese character 鸞 (Mandarin luán), which names a mythical bird of Chinese and Vietnamese tradition - a bird closely linked with, and sometimes described as the female counterpart of, the phoenix (phượng).
Literally, the name is just the name of that bird. The symbolic meanings attached to it come from art and poetry rather than from the word's history: the loan represents grace and beauty, and, paired with the phoenix in the compound loan phượng, it stands for a harmonious marriage.
In Vietnamese naming, Loan is often the second element of a two-part given name, as in Kim Loan, Ngọc Loan, Thanh Loan, and Bích Loan, where the first element adds an image such as gold or jade. The English noun loan, meaning something lent, is a different word and is unrelated to the name.
Loan Name History & Origins
Loan entered Vietnamese as part of the Sino-Vietnamese vocabulary, the large body of Chinese-derived words adopted during the centuries of Chinese administration and, later, through the use of literary Chinese in Vietnam. The character 鸞 was read loan in Vietnamese, and because the mythical bird was already a familiar figure in religious and decorative art, that reading carried its meaning into the language. The name is well attested among Vietnamese women; Hoàng Thị Loan, the mother of Hồ Chí Minh, bore it in the 19th century.
Outside Vietnam, Loan is also used as a given name in France, especially in Brittany. This European name is generally treated as separate from the Vietnamese one, and the derivation behind it is not securely documented; it should not be assumed that the European and Vietnamese names share an origin.
How Popular is the Name Loan?
Loan 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 1982. Its best rank was #2,399 in 1982.
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 | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,511 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #11,875 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1997 | #13,056 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #8,558 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1995 | #12,686 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1994 | #5,882 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1993 | #8,430 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1992 | #8,464 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1991 | #4,920 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1990 | #7,133 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1989 | #6,008 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1988 | #5,207 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1987 | #3,930 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 1986 | #3,830 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 1985 | #3,134 | 29 | 0.0017% |
| 1984 | #2,444 | 39 | 0.0023% |
| 1983 | #3,201 | 26 | 0.0016% |
| 1982 | #2,399 | 41 | 0.0024% |
| 1981 | #3,195 | 27 | 0.0016% |
| 1980 | #2,838 | 32 | 0.0019% |
| 1979 | #4,974 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 1978 | #5,077 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1977 | #4,548 | 15 | 0.0010% |
| 1976 | #4,488 | 14 | 0.0010% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #6,315 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2024 | #6,664 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2023 | #13,391 | 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.
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with L
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How the Name Loan 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 frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
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.
✦ Loan's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Loan's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.