| Lan | Mei | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Orchid (兰) | Beautiful |
| Origin | Chinese | chinese |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | LAHN | MAY |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| First appeared | 1972 | 1947 |
| Peak year | 1982 (47) | 2025 (117) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 117 |
| Trend | Vintage | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Lan | Mei |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 0 | 483 |
| 2010s | 61 | 483 |
| 2000s | 92 | 385 |
| 1990s | 183 | 191 |
| 1980s | 336 | 136 |
| 1970s | 97 | 110 |
| 1960s | 0 | 37 |
| 1950s | 0 | 16 |
| 1940s | 0 | 18 |
Lan is commonly the character 兰, “orchid,” a flower of refinement.
From Chinese 美 (měi) 'beautiful'. One of the most direct beauty characters used in given names (another 梅 means 'plum blossom'; this entry is for 美 'beautiful').
Mei is more popular than Lan today: about 117 US babies were given the name Mei in 2025, compared with 0 named Lan.
Lan means Orchid (兰) (Chinese origin), while Mei means Beautiful (chinese origin).
In US records, Lan first appears in 1972 and Mei in 1947, so Mei has the longer recorded history.