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Home › Baby Names Directory › Lathan

Lathan

♂ Boy

Pronounced LAY-thuhn /ˈleɪ.θən/Medium

Meaning: Place at the barns; from the surname Latham, Old Norse hlatha (barn) plus tun (settlement).Medium

In 30 seconds: Lathan comes from the surname Latham, meaning 'place at the barns' - from Old Norse hlatha (barn) plus tun (settlement).
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Origin MediumEnglish
MeaningPlace at the barns; from the surname Latham, Old Norse hlatha (barn) plus tun (settlement).
U.S. rank (2024)#2195 ↗ Rising
2024 U.S. births66 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2011
Total births (all-time)≈ 4,237

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 201119122024

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

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

Explore names like Lathan

By themeenglishsurname-style

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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.

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