Lan
A rare surname with Celtic and medieval British associations, especially in Scottish and Cornish records.
The #9,910 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 94,649 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The historical evidence for Lan as a surname is thin and mixed. One old Scottish-looking record in Lower gives it as linked to a Latinized form, "Laumanus filius Malcolrai," in the 13th century, which suggests a medieval personal-name or family-name source rather than a plain modern surname meaning. In other British surnames, especially Cornish, Lan can also reflect a Celtic word meaning a church or enclosure, but the excerpts do not prove that meaning for this exact surname.
History
Lower’s citation shows Lan in medieval Scottish documentary form, while the surrounding entries suggest that similar short forms could arise from place-names or personal names. The name is uncommon in modern English-speaking countries, with only a small number of bearers in the United States. Because the surviving evidence is sparse, its development remains uncertain and may reflect more than one local origin.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In Cornish place-names, lan is a very common element meaning a church or religious enclosure, which is why it turns up often in surnames and local names.
From the historical record
“LAN 185 LAN Laumanus filius Malcolrai in the XIII. cent.”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom