Lana

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Girl · English (20th century)

Lana

Say it: LAH-nuh

Try it with your surname

Meaning

Uncertain. Popularized by actress Lana Turner (born Julia), it may be a short form of Alana or Svetlana; it is not reliably from a Latin or Irish word.

Uncertainseveral explanations, none settled.

Rose in the US with Lana Turner in the 1940s and again in the 2010s.

Its wave through time

A revival, back after decades away

In the United States

05010018801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1948per 100,000 babies of that sex
  • 53,521 babies given this name since 1885
  • At its height in 1948, about 1 in 1,200 girls
  • 790 babies in 2020

Through the ages

  1. The Modern Age1880 to today

Used by

AmericanEnglish

The family of the name

Other spellings: Lanna

Famous bearers

  • Lana Turner, American actress
  • Lana Del Rey, American singer

Names worth a look

Where this comes from

  • United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
  • United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source

Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.

Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.