Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Lana

Lana and Sveta are both short forms of the Russian name Svetlana derived from the Slavic “svet” meaning ‘light, shining’. The name Svetlana was popularized in the early 19th century Russia thanks to the poet Vasily Zhukovsky and his 1813 eponymous poem. In the ballad, Svetlana is the epitome of loyalty and obedience, and her movement from the dream world to awakening symbolizes the role of providence in our lives. Not only was “Svetlana” a landmark Russian poem of the romantic tradition, but it also gave birth to generations of women name Svetlana not only in Russia but other Slavic nations as well. Lana is mostly considered a pet form of Svetlana, but it could also be short for Alana or Elana. In any case, among English-speakers, the name Lana was unequivocally popularized in the late 1930s by film star Lana Turner (b. 1921 as Julia Jean Turner). Today, Lana is the #1 and #2 most popular name in Croatia and Slovenia, respectively, and it is ranked high at #19 in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Lana is a Top 100 favorite girl’s name in both France and Belgium and moderately popular in Holland. Indeed, we’d say that Lana is truly a name of multi-ethnic interest.

All About the Baby Name – Lana

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME LANA

The number one personality is a leader - strong and competitive. They are willing to initiate action and take risks. One personalities work hard toward their endeavors and have the ability to apply their creative and innovative thinking skills with strong determination. They believe in their ability to succeed and are too stubborn to be hindered by obstacles. Ones meet obstacles head-on with such mental vigor and energy that you better step aside. They resent taking orders, so don't try telling them what to do either. This is an intensely active personality, but they are also known as starters rather than finishers. They have a propensity to become bored and will move quickly to the next project if not properly challenged.  They are the ones to think up and put into action new and brilliant ideas, but they are not the ones to stick around and manage them. This personality has an enthusiastic and pioneering spirit. They are distinctly original.

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME LANA

In the United States, the name Lana first appeared on the charts in the late 1880s, but only briefly before falling back into the shadows. The name really debuted alongside the illustrious career of Lana Turner, nicknamed “The Sweater Girl” after her breakout role as a teenaged murder victim in “They Won’t Forget” (1937). Indeed, the audiences did not forget that curvaceous figure under her snug-fitting sweater. Nor did they forget her lovely name. The name Lana shot up the charts very quickly in the late 1930s and 1940s. Her peak popularity came in 1948 when the name ranked #188 on the charts. Never an ϋber-favorite, Lana nonetheless held her own on the charts for most of the mid-20th century. By the 1980s, Lana was clearly going out of style. By the mid-1990s, the name completely dropped off the charts. However, in 2002 Lana demonstrated a small comeback. The name is still only used very lightly but there seems to be some resurged interest in this simple beauty. Someone pointed out to us that Lana is “anal” spelled backwards, which is unfortunate but hopefully easily overlooked. Lana is also the Spanish word for “wool” (random, but true). Incidentally, Lana Wood, an actress, was the younger sister of Natalie Wood (whose Russian birth names were Svetlana and Natalia, respectively). Even today, decades after the golden age of Hollywood, the name seems forever associated with the beautiful actress Lana Turner. The name imbues qualities of prettiness, strength and confidence.

Quick Facts

ON LANA

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

Russian

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

412

PRONUNCIATION:

LAN-ah or LAWN-ah

SIMPLE MEANING:

Light, shining

Characteristics

OF LANA

Independent

Individualistic

Ambitious

Strong-willed

Inventive

Successful

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Lana

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME LANA

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME LANA

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Lana


Popular Songs

ON LANA

Lana
a song by The Beach Boys

Famous People

NAMED LANA

Lana Turner (actress)
Lana Wood (actress)
Lana Parrilla (actress)
Lana Clarkson (actress/model)
Lana Obad (Miss Croatia 2010)
Lana (famous chimpanzee)
Lana Del Rey (singer-songwriter)
Lana Morris (actress)

Children of Famous People

NAMED LANA

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Lana

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME LANA

Born Julia Jean Turner in Idaho in 1921, Lana Turner’s mother was only 16 and her father was a poor minor. Having hit hard times, the small family moved to San Francisco where her father was robbed and murdered leaving a craps game with his winnings stuffed in his sock. Mother and daughter soon relocated to Los Angeles where they struggled against poverty. Hollywood lore tells us that the beautiful teenager was “discovered” drinking a Coke at a Sunset Boulevard café by the publisher of “The Hollywood Reporter”. Struck by her fresh face and gorgeous figure, he referred her to Zeppo Marx (brother of Groucho) and the young starlet was immediately signed by MGM. She attracted attention at the young age of sixteen in the 1937 film “They Won’t Forget” after which she earned the nickname “The Sweater Girl” (apparently much to her chagrin). She would go onto play the beautiful, young ingénue for the next several years before establishing herself as a leading lady. Lana Turner is most known for such films as: “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” (1941) as one of the original horror film scream queens; “The Postman Always Rings Twice” (1946) as the femme fatale; and for her talented performances in “Peyton Place” (1957) and “Imitation of Life” (1959). Perhaps overshadowing a long and illustrious career in Hollywood was an unfortunate 1958 scandal involving Lana’s daughter Cheryl Crane who stabbed to death Lana’s gangster boyfriend Johnny Stompanato apparently in self-defense (later ruled justifiable homicide). Lana Turner’s rise to Hollywood fame is one of the true Cinderella stories of her day.