Taiwan

Meaning & origin●

Attested across 2 languages in the etymology graph.

Languages●

Language is read off each record's context, not declared by the bearer; a share is of all records for this spelling.

Other names spelled this way◐

Taiwan is also recorded as 5 other names, grouped separately because the records behind them do not connect to the one described above.

• Spanish name2.2K records spelled Taiwan5 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Mexico, Spain, Peru, Colombia

  Also written Taiwán, Taïwan

• Chinese given name119 records spelled Taiwan2 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Macao

  Also written Tai-Wan

• Thai surname62 records spelled Taiwan30 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Thailand

  Also written ต่ายวัลย์, ไต่วัลย์, ทัยวัน, ไทยวน, ไทยวัน

• French name50 records spelled Taiwan3 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in France

  Also written Taïwan

• Arabic name28 records spelled Taiwan3 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Egypt

  Also written Taïwan

37 further groups record this spelling and are not listed here.

Grouping is the name graph's, not a register's: two spellings join a group when the evidence links them, so a group is a claim about the records rather than about the people.

Other recorded senses●

Taiwan is also recorded in 3 other lexicons, as a different name or as an ordinary word. These are senses of the spelling, not of the name above.

• In English, A partly-recognized country in East Asia consisting of a main island and 167 smaller islands. Official name: Republic of China. Capital: Taipei.

  as a word·kaikki.org Wiktionary extract (IPA + transliterations)

• In Portuguese, Taiwan (a partly-recognized country in East Asia consisting of a main island and 167 smaller islands; official name: República da China)

  as a word·kaikki.org Wiktionary extract (IPA + transliterations)

• In Czech, alternative form of Tchaj-wan:

  as a word·kaikki.org Wiktionary extract (IPA + transliterations)

Ordered by how much of this spelling's record each language holds, so a sense from a language the name is barely used in sits last rather than first.

Over time●

US SSA — National Baby Names (1880–present) — 54 years between 1969–2025. One register's own figures, never a sum across registers: two registers counting the same people would double them.

Evidence●

Register rows as of the 2026-09-12 data build · 84 rows in the corpus for this spelling.

Frequently asked questions

How common is the name Taiwan?

Our records include 256,429 bearers of Taiwan across 5 countries — a sample of the full distribution.

In which country does Taiwan have the most bearers?

Taiwan is most frequently recorded in the United States, where it is most often spelled taiwan.

What does the name Taiwan mean?

Recorded meaning: island nation, SE Asia