Sloan
Meaning
from the Irish surname Ó Sluaghadháin, "descendant of Sluaghadhán" (sluaghadh, "raid, mobilization")
The story
Sloan spent its first American century as an occasional boys' name, some dozens each decade from the 1910s, and then changed lanes: girls passed boys in the 1990s, and the 2010s gave the name about 3,900 girls against about 750 boys, with about 2,500 more girls so far this decade. The name is an Irish surname worn smooth: Anglicized from O Sluaghadhain, descendant of Sluaghadhan, built on sluaghadh, raid, mobilization, plus a diminutive ending. Behind the Name lists Sloane as the headword and Sloan as its variant; American families use both spellings, and this page tracks the e-less form. One syllable, a long O, and a surname finish, which is precisely the register American naming has been promoting: the unisex file is full of names drifting one way, and Sloan's drift has been all toward the girls.
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Sloan peaked in the 2010s and the 2020s in nearly equal measure.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
57 people · the #60,880 first name in Brazil · median age 16
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Sloan
Most people given the name Sloan in the United States are children or teenagers today. The name belongs to this generation.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Sloan deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Sloan truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Sloan fits with your family’s names and surname.
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