Harlan
English surname from a place name combining hara, hare, with land, so hare land. It passed into American use as a given name in the 19th century.
Harlan in 2025
Harlan was given to 490 babies in the United States in 2025 — 454 boys and 36 girls, making it the 1,186th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 6,766 babies born.
The history of Harlan
Harlan reached its highest point in 1924, when 519 babies were given the name, ranking 544th that year.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 26,980 babies have been named Harlan. Half of them were born before 1948, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Baby Boomers.
Harlan by decade
| Decade | Babies named Harlan | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 106 | 952 |
| 1890s | 137 | 1,081 |
| 1900s | 258 | 982 |
| 1910s | 2,012 | 661 |
| 1920s | 4,184 | 544 |
| 1930s | 3,891 | 562 |
| 1940s | 3,269 | 663 |
| 1950s | 2,720 | 852 |
| 1960s | 1,824 | 1,146 |
| 1970s | 965 | 1,599 |
| 1980s | 733 | 2,187 |
| 1990s | 683 | 2,744 |
| 2000s | 871 | 2,713 |
| 2010s | 2,642 | 1,500 |
| 2020s | 2,685 | 1,186 |
Where Harlan is heading
Harlan has risen 59% over the past decade, from 308 babies in 2015 to 490 in 2025.
Names like Harlan
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Harlan.