Harlan

Harlan: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “hare land”
Origin: English
Say it: HAR-lən · 2 syllables
Used for: Boys (98% of all uses)

Harlan comes from an English surname derived from place elements meaning hare and land. It may also reflect habitation names with similar Old English elements.

English names American names Names meaning animal Names meaning earth Names meaning nature Surname-style names Classic names

How popular is Harlan?

2024137 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Harlan in 2024455

2024 rank#666 boys

Peak year1924

Total US babies since 188026,489

Harlan is rising: use over the last five years is 2.3× what it was a decade earlier.

Names like Harlan

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

JackGod is gracious · English
Hudsonson of Hudd · English
Jacksonson of Jack · English
Cartercart driver · English
Wyattbrave in war · English
Maverickindependent person · English
Masonstoneworker · English
Graysonson of the steward · English

Harlan questions

What does the name Harlan mean?

Harlan means "hare land". It comes from English. Harlan comes from an English surname derived from place elements meaning hare and land. It may also reflect habitation names with similar Old English elements.

Is Harlan a boy or girl name?

Harlan is mainly a boy's name in US records (98% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Harlan?

455 US babies were named Harlan in 2024. Its peak year was 1924.

How do you pronounce Harlan?

Harlan is usually pronounced HAR-lən.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.