Rising since 1985, #162 for boys today.
Popularity of Ivan since 1880
Babies named Ivan per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 292 |
| 1890s | 571 |
| 1900s | 829 |
| 1910s | 4,932 |
| 1920s | 7,628 |
| 1930s | 5,777 |
| 1940s | 4,880 |
| 1950s | 5,333 |
| 1960s | 6,353 |
| 1970s | 7,018 |
| 1980s | 11,296 |
| 1990s | 20,516 |
| 2000s | 30,718 |
| 2010s | 29,914 |
| 2020s | 14,080 |
Meaning & origin
Ivan, meaning 'God is gracious,' is a classic Slavic name with deep roots in Eastern European culture. In the United States, it has been in use since at least 1880, but its popularity has fluctuated. After a period of decline, Ivan began rising again in 1985, reaching its peak rank of 162 in 2004. As of 2025, it holds the same rank of 162, with a frequency of 1 in 763 births, showing steady modern appeal. The name is especially popular in states like Arizona, Hawaii, and Oregon, reflecting its broad geographic spread. Ivan's enduring presence, from Russian tsars to contemporary use, makes it a strong, traditional choice for parents seeking a name with historical weight and international recognition.
Ivan is the Slavic form of John, ultimately from Hebrew Yohanan, meaning 'God is gracious'. It has been used across Russia, Ukraine, and other Slavic nations for centuries, and became known globally through figures like Ivan the Terrible (16th century) and Ivan Turgenev, the 19th-century novelist.
Where Ivan is most popular
Births per 100,000 boys by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Ivan” around the world
Where Ivan lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
85
babies in 2024
Ireland
11
babies in 2025
New Zealand
10
babies in 2025
Quebec
6
babies in 2025
Sources: INSEE (France) · CSO Ireland (Ireland) · NZ Dept of Internal Affairs (New Zealand) · Retraite Québec (Quebec).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Vanya, Iva, Van
Variants: Iwan
Sibling names for Ivan
Names that share Ivan's style, for a brother or sister.
Sisters: Natalia, Sofia, Anastasia, Olga, Tatiana, Natasha, Sasha, Sonya, Tamara, Tania, Tanya, Wanda, Alena, Anya, Bela, Danica, Daria, Dasha, Ivana, Ivanna, Izetta, Mischa, Nadia, Nikita, Odessa, Sonja, Tamarra, Tasha, Tatyana, Tosha, Vira, Yuri, Zora, Aleksandra, Asya, Darya, Irina, Ivanka, Jacinda, Kalina, Katya, Larisa, Mariya, Marya, Mirna, Nadya, Natashia, Nika, Polina, Sanya, Sascha, Stasia, Tanja, Tatiyana, Valeri, Vanda, Vania, Vanya, Yoana, Yulianna, Zoya, Albena, Alvira, Anastasiya, Anica, Annya, Arina, Czarina, Darina, Dima, Ekaterina, Halina, Inessa, Inna, Irean, Ivania, Ivone, Iya, Iyona, Izora, Janica, Jenia, Ksenia, Luba, Marica, Marija, Masha, Matea, Merary, Milka, Nadina, Nadja, Nastasha, Nastasia, Nastassia, Nastassja, Natascha, Natasia, Natassia, Nikolina, Olena, Onita, Rada, Roza, Sonjia, Stasha, Suzana, Tanyia, Tatia, Tatjana, Vona, Wyona, Yoanna, Yulia, Zarya, Zelena, Zlata, Alyona, Antonela, Asja, Atasha, Danila, Elizaveta, Emilija, Galina, Ilina, Iraida, Ivet, Iveth, Ivianna, Juliya, Kalyna, Ludmila, Ludmilla, Matasha, Mirra, Mishka, Nasha, Natassja, Natausha, Natika, Niurka, Olia, Patra, Soniya, Tanija, Tannya, Tascha, Thanya, Vasilisa, Vesna, Yury, Zasha, Zorina, Vielka, Eladia, Gelena, Icela, Ileta, Ilka, Ivalene, Ivani, Ivannia, Ivelis, Ivelise, Ivonna, Jasha, Jenya, Kseniya, Lada, Luda, Mirela, Mirjana, Nadezhda, Nastashia, Natash, Natsha, Netasha, Ninoshka, Ninoska, Olesya, Raysa, Sanda, Sanja, Sausha, Shonya, Sofija, Stana, Taisa, Ulyana, Vana, Varvara, Vika, Yaritsa, Ysenia, Zhana, Zhanna, Zlaty, Zorana
Brothers: Dmitri, Nikolai, Alexei, Mikhail, Vladimir, Anton, Aleksandr, Dimitri, Maksim, Marko, Alek, Andrey, Boris, Cosme, Damir, Lenin, Pavel, Serge, Stevan, Viktor, Adrik, Aleks, Aleksei, Aleksey, Alexandr, Alexey, Alik, Andon, Andrej, Christo, Damyan, Dimitry, Dmitriy, Dmitry, Georgi, Ival, Ivin, Ivis, Kamen, Kaz, Kirill, Kosta, Lazar, Maksym, Milos, Miron, Nicholai, Nickolai, Nikoli, Novak, Osmin, Petar, Ruslan, Sergey, Timofey, Ural, Vadim, Veron, Vitaliy, Vlad, Vladislav, Zoran, Andriy, Ante, Artem, Artyom, Bogdan, Daniil, Filimon, Filip, Karlo, Luby, Marik, Mihail, Miro, Orel, Sava, Stanislav, Stepan, Tomislav, Yan, Yuriy, Zlatan, Danil, Densil, Dragan, Drago, Dusan, Fedor, Fyodor, Gleb, Josip, Jovann, Kiril, Milen, Mir, Mirko, Petro, Savva, Sergei, Stalin, Vasili, Vasily, Vuk, Yaroslav, Yordan
Names like Ivan
Names whose popularity has moved with Ivan's over the last 50 years.
