The name began as the place-and-family name Latham, joining Old Norse hlatha, 'barn', to tun, 'settlement', to mark a spot 'at the barns'. Carried from surname into a first name, Lathan keeps that plain, rooted-in-the-land meaning. The single-t spelling distinguishes it from the older Latham.

The 'th' in the middle gives Lathan a soft, modern sound despite its Old Norse and English farmstead roots. The producer and former skateboarder Lathan McKay, born in 1975, is one bearer who carries the name today.

Did you know? Lathan likely reached first-name use through a surname or place-name route, which gives it that modern borrowed-from-history feel.

Overall data confidence 70%

Behind the Name - Lathan — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

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Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

★Lathan McKay (1975-present)
American producer, former professional skateboarder and co-founder of the Evel Knievel Museum.

If you like Lathan…

Nathan— Rhymes with Lathan and shares its two-syllable -than ending, a close sound-alike.

Tylan— shares the -an ending

Coleman— another English name

Norman— another English name

Keagan— a similarly popular pick

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Lathan mean?

Lathan is usually explained as meaning 'origin uncertain' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Lathan?

It's commonly said LAY-thuhn /ˈleɪ.θən/.

Is Lathan a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Lathan is used as a boy name.

How popular is Lathan?

In 2024, Lathan ranked #2195 in the U.S. for boys, with 66 births recorded.