What does Xia mean?
Xia is commonly the character 霞, “the rosy glow of dawn,” or 夏, “summer.”
What does Lan mean?
Lan is commonly the character 兰, “orchid,” a flower of refinement.
Xia vs Lan
Which is more popular?
Xia is more popular than Lan today: about 25 US babies were given the name Xia in 2025, compared with 0 named Lan.
| Xia | Lan | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Rosy dawn clouds (霞) | Orchid (兰) |
| Origin | Chinese | Chinese |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | SHYAH | LAHN |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| First appeared | 1981 | 1972 |
| Peak year | 2019 (37) | 1982 (47) |
| In 2025 | 25 | 0 |
| Trend | Rising | Vintage |
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Xia
Lan
Source: US Social Security Administration.
Births by decade
| Decade | Xia | Lan |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 179 | 0 |
| 2010s | 251 | 61 |
| 2000s | 145 | 92 |
| 1990s | 120 | 183 |
| 1980s | 108 | 336 |
| 1970s | 0 | 97 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Xia or Lan more popular?
Xia is more popular than Lan today: about 25 US babies were given the name Xia in 2025, compared with 0 named Lan.
What is the difference between Xia and Lan?
Xia means Rosy dawn clouds (霞) (Chinese origin), while Lan means Orchid (兰) (Chinese origin).
Which name is older, Xia or Lan?
In US records, Xia first appears in 1981 and Lan in 1972, so Lan has the longer recorded history.