Harlan
Girl name · #3993 in 2025 · Uniqueness 72/100
In 2025, 36 baby girls were named Harlan, placing it at #3993 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #4295, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 50,000 girls born in 2025 was named Harlan.
The 100-year story
Harlan first appears in the Social Security records in 1925, when 7 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2023, with 50 babies and a rank of #3225. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Harlan per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Harlan against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Harlan in class?
Harlan scores 72 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Harlan will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Harlan is most common
State-level data for Harlan is sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
Names like Harlan
Statistically, parents drawn to Harlan tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Mulan, Heran, Hudsyn, Neylan, and Lareen.
MulanHeranHudsynNeylanLareenHamptonHazelynnHayzel
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Harlan | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 36 | #3975 |
| 2024 | 44 | #3516 |
| 2023 | 50 | #3225 |
| 2022 | 40 | #3765 |
| 2021 | 42 | #3614 |
| 2020 | 31 | #4358 |
| 2019 | 21 | #5798 |
| 2018 | 24 | #5315 |
| 2017 | 34 | #4220 |
| 2016 | 27 | #4990 |
| 2015 | 33 | #4295 |
| 2014 | 21 | #5993 |
| 2013 | 20 | #6255 |
| 2012 | 16 | #7456 |
| 2011 | 15 | #7783 |
| 2010 | 17 | #7217 |
| 2009 | 7 | #13704 |
| 2008 | 9 | #11599 |
| 2005 | 5 | #16462 |
| 1925 | 7 | #4028 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Harlan a popular girl name?
Harlan ranked #3993 among girls in 2025 with 36 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #4295.
When was the name Harlan most popular?
Harlan peaked in 2023, when 50 American girls received the name (ranked #3225 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Harlan?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 50,000 newborn American girls was named Harlan. It scores 72/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.