Ayan is a short name with more than one source: in Indian families it comes from the Sanskrit ayana and means "path" or "journey", while in Muslim families from Central Asia and the Middle East it goes back to the Arabic ayan, "evident" or "clear". Both readings share the same easy two syllables, which is why the name travels so well. Ayan entered the US top 1000 in 2019 and ranks number 762 in 2025, its best rank so far.