Sloane

Sloane began as an Irish surname, also spelled Sloan. It is an anglicized form of Ó Sluagháin, "descendant of Sluaghán." Sluaghán is based on the Irish word sluagh, meaning "host" or "army," which is why Sloane is often said to mean "warrior" or "raider." The name is pronounced SLOHN, rhyming with "loan."

Sloane Square in London takes its name from Sir Hans Sloane, the Irish-born physician whose collection became the foundation of the British Museum. In the 1986 film Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Sloane Peterson is Ferris's girlfriend. Tennis player Sloane Stephens won the 2017 US Open.

In the U.S., Sloane ranked No. 1,002 as recently as 2008, then rose quickly to its highest rank, 140th, in 2022. In 2025 it ranked 141st, with 2,077 babies, the most in any year.