Fun Facts About the Name Yordan
- 230 babies named Yordan: U.S. records list 230 babies given the name Yordan from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Yordan Mean?
Yordan is a variant of Jordan. Its ultimate source is the Hebrew river name Yarden, the Jordan River, which is usually connected with the root yarad, meaning "to descend" or "to flow down." The river name is commonly understood as "the descender" or "the one that flows down." Some scholars treat the derivation of Yarden as uncertain or possibly pre-Hebrew, so the connection with yarad is the traditional explanation rather than a settled fact.
The Hebrew name passed into Greek as Iordanes and into Latin as Jordanis or Jordanes. In Bulgarian and Macedonian, Yordan is the usual form of this name, with the initial I represented by a consonantal Y. Spanish also uses Yordan as a variant of Jordan. The literal meaning refers to the river's descent. Christian tradition later connected the name with the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan, giving it symbolic associations with baptism and renewal, but those associations are not the name's etymology.
Yordan Name History & Origins
The name comes from the Jordan River, called Yarden in the Hebrew Bible. In the New Testament, the river is the place where John the Baptist baptized Jesus, which made the name significant in Christian naming. Greek-speaking Christians used Iordanes, and Latin-speaking Christians used Jordanis or Jordanes. From Greek, the name entered the Slavic world; Old Church Slavonic has the river name Iordan.
In Bulgarian, the personal name became Йордан (Yordan), and in Macedonian, Јордан. In Bulgaria, Yordan is associated with Yordanovden, the feast of Epiphany on January 6, which commemorates the baptism of Jesus. The name day for Yordan in Bulgaria is January 6. The feminine form Yordanka and the surname Yordanov come from the same name. In Spanish-speaking countries, Yordan also appears as a variant of Jordan. The English equivalent is Jordan.
How Popular is the Name Yordan?
Yordan 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 2020. Its best rank was #5,441 in 2020.
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 | #9,681 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2024 | #8,261 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2023 | #6,202 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2022 | #5,856 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2021 | #10,750 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2020 | #5,441 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2019 | #9,712 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2018 | #8,792 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2017 | #10,733 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2016 | #6,709 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2015 | #8,720 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2014 | #8,758 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2013 | #12,080 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2012 | #10,736 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2011 | #12,238 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2010 | #14,197 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #8,965 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2008 | #11,005 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 2007 | #8,155 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2006 | #9,558 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2005 | #8,277 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2003 | #12,720 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2002 | #9,374 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2001 | #10,530 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #9,612 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1994 | #10,217 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1993 | #8,683 | 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.
Explore More Lists with Name Yordan
Most Popular Boy Names That Start with Y
How the Name Yordan Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have a strong need for freedom - physical, mental and spiritual. You hate bondage in any form. You have love of beauty and philosophy, and you desire achievement. You are willing to take spiritual matters on faith instead of subjecting them to mental analysis. You are inventive, intuitive and extremely methodical. Since your will is so strong, you are hard to convince. You also dislike advice. You love beauty and philosophy, and you desire achievement. You have a strong need for freedom - physical, mental and spiritual.
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.
✦ Yordan's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Yordan's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.