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Ivan

boy name
Origin
Slavic
Syllables
2
Peak era
2010s
Today
▬ Steady

Torn between Ivan and another name? Compare them side by side →

Meaning

“God is gracious”

Goes by Vanya. See all nicknames

The story

The uncle in Chekhov's Uncle Vanya has another name waiting in the cast list: Ivan Voitski. Vanya is the Russian masculine diminutive, and Sonia's familiar way of addressing her uncle supplies the title. That small shift takes Ivan from a formal introduction into a family conversation. Behind it lies a much longer journey. Ivan developed from Old Church Slavic Ioannŭ, which came from Greek Ioannes and ultimately Hebrew Yochanan, traditionally understood as "God is gracious." English John belongs to the same family. Ivan and John can look distant on the page, while Ivan and Vanya can sound like different people to a newcomer to the play. The history resolves the first puzzle; Chekhov's cast list resolves the second. One name can have relatives across languages and a familiar form within a single household.

More names with stories →

Ivan across languages

One shared root links 47 names across 10 languages.

Shared root: from Hebrew Yochanan "God is gracious", carried through Greek Ioannes and Latin Iohannes into nearly every European language

The constellation

IvanSlavicJohnEnglishJuanSpanishJeanFrenchSeanIrishIanScottishEvanWelshJoãoPortugueseJohannGerman
38 more branches of this family
JackEnglish · short formJohnnyEnglish · diminutiveJohnnieEnglish · diminutiveJohnieEnglish · variantJhonSpanish · variantJeanneFrench · feminine formJeannieScottish · diminutiveJeanieScottish · diminutiveJeanetteFrench · diminutiveJeannetteFrench · diminutiveJeannineFrench · diminutiveJaneEnglish · feminine formJanieEnglish · diminutiveJayneEnglish · variantJannaEnglish · variantJennieEnglish · diminutiveJoanEnglish · feminine formJoannaEnglish · feminine formJoanneEnglish · variantJoannEnglish · variantJohannaGerman · feminine formJanetScottish · diminutiveJanetteFrench · diminutiveJaniceEnglish · related formJanelleEnglish · related formShawnIrish · variantShayneIrish · variantIvanaSlavic · feminine formGiovannaItalian · feminine formGiannaItalian · short formGianaItalian · variantGianniItalian · diminutiveJuanaSpanish · feminine formJuanitaSpanish · diminutiveHanselGerman · diminutiveJacksonEnglish · surname formJohnsonEnglish · surname formJonesWelsh · surname form

Ways to honor John →

How popular is Ivan around the world?

In the United States, 14,086 babies were named Ivan between 2020 and 2025. In Spain, 138,979 residents are named Ivan, the 34th most common name among men, with a mean age of 31 years.

Ivan is on the official records of the United States, Spain, Mexico City, Montevideo, Argentina, Norway, Brazil, Chile, Austria, Puerto Rico, Canada, Scotland, England and Wales, Poland, Ireland, New Zealand, South Australia and France.

Ivan crosses languages: it is in the latest top 300 of an English-speaking birth record, of a Spanish-speaking one and of Brazil’s 2022 census, which counts people of every age. The full lists: English and Spanish · English and Portuguese · Spanish and Portuguese

United States

1 in 1,500

In the United States, 14,086 babies were named Ivan between 2020 and 2025.

1890speak 2010s

Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Ivan peaked in the 2010s.

Births with a Social Security record. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration

See the full list for the United States →

Spain

1 in 320

In Spain, 138,979 residents are named Ivan, the 34th most common name among men, with a mean age of 31 years.
In Spain, Ivan was the 74th most common name among boys born in 2024.

Residents of Spain on 1 January 2025. Spain publishes how old a name’s living bearers are, not a birth series, so there is no year chart. Source: INE (Spain), Censo de Población anual, 1 January 2025

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Mexico City City

1 in 430

In Mexico City, there were 274 registrations of Ivan in 2022.

peak 20012022

share of that year’s registrations in the city

Civil-registry acts in Mexico City by registration year. Counts are lower bounds (names under 6 in a month and borough are removed at source) and count name-instances, not people; compound names are split, so “Maria Jose” counts under each part. 2023 (13 registrations through 3 Mar) is excluded as partial. Source: Registro Civil of Mexico City, open data portal, registered given names 2000-2023

See the full list for Mexico City →

Montevideo City

1 in 560 · 2011

In Montevideo, 44 boys named Ivan were born in 2011, spelling variants counted together.

1940peak 2004

share of that year’s births on record

Births in the department of Montevideo (not all of Uruguay) by first name and year of birth, 1940–2011, from the city’s civil registry, which writes names in capitals, almost always without accents; counted as spelling groups (accent and punctuation variants merged), nothing is withheld at source, and 2012 is excluded as a partial year. Source: Servicio de Registro Civil, Intendencia de Montevideo, Partidas de Registro Civil de Montevideo (Licencia de Datos Abiertos - Uruguay); 2012 dropped as partial

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Argentina

1 in 920

In Argentina, 719 newborns were given the name Ivan in 2024.

peak 20122024

share of that year’s name registrations

Given-name components of births in Argentina 2012–2024; national cells are lower bounds and no sex split is published. Source: RENAPER (Argentina), Dirección Nacional de Población, given names 2012-2024

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Norway

1 in 1,600 · register 2026

In Norway, 18 boys were given the name Ivan in 2025.

1945peak 19842025

share of the boys on the register for that year, SSB’s own figure

People who have or have had a Norwegian ID number, emigrants left out, from Statistics Norway’s name statistics (release of January 2026): by year of birth for 1945–2020 (everyone born that year who was ever registered in Norway, including people who registered later and people who have since died) and by year of naming from 2021; only first names carried by 200 or more living people are listed, counts under 4 are withheld, and SSB merges spellings that differ only by letters outside the Norwegian alphabet. The shares are SSB’s own, of the people of that sex and year in that count; the 2025 figure counts the children named that year, and no year is a count of births. Source: Statistics Norway (SSB), table 10467 (updated 2026-01-28)

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Brazil

1 in 1,700

At the 2022 census, 120,452 people in Brazil were named Ivan, the 269th most common name, with a median age of 42.
Among people named Ivan living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 1980s than in any other decade.

1930speak 1980s2010s

people alive at the 2022 census, by decade of birth

The census also counted 1,119 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart. People alive and resident in Brazil at the 2022 census, a living-population count, not births; names under 20 are withheld at source. Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022

See the full list for Brazil →

Chile

1 in 1,800

In Chile, 101 boys were registered as Ivan in 2021, every accent spelling counted together, most often written Iván.

1920peak 19652021

share of that year’s name registrations

First-name registrations with Chile’s civil registry by year of registration, 1920–2021, counted as spelling groups (Sofía, Sofia and Sofìa are one name, shown with its most-registered spelling); the registry withholds nothing, nametree keeps the groups that reached 5 registrations in some year, and shares divide by every registration of the year. Source: Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación (Chile) via the guaguas package, first-name registrations 1920-2021

See the full list for Chile →

Austria

1 in 2,000

In Austria, 39 boys named Ivan were born in 2025, the 163rd most common name among boys that year, spellings that differ only by special characters counted together.

1984peak 2022

share of that year’s births on record

Live births in Austria by year of birth, 1984–2025, from Statistik Austria’s first-name statistics; spellings that differ only by special characters are counted together (umlauts stay apart), every name down to a single birth is published, and the count covers babies with Austrian citizenship only until 2009, every baby from 2010, and from 2015 also births abroad to mothers living in Austria. Shares divide by Statistik Austria’s count of live births from 2010, and before that by the file’s own total for the year. Source: Statistik Austria - data.statistik.gv.at (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1, updated 2026-07-09)

See the full list for Austria →

Puerto Rico

1 in 2,300

In Puerto Rico, 8 babies were named Ivan in 2025, and 1,256 have carried the name since 1998.

peak 20032025

share of that year’s births on record

First given name only, from Social Security records of births in Puerto Rico; any name-sex-year under 5 births is withheld at source. Shares divide by the Puerto Rico Demographic Registry’s count of births on the island; the 2025 count is provisional. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, territory name file (Puerto Rico)

See the full list for Puerto Rico →

Canada

1 in 3,000

In Canada, 123 boys named Ivan were born in 2024, the 262nd most common name among boys that year.

1991peak 2017

share of that year’s name registrations

First given names from provincial and territorial vital statistics across Canada; any name-sex-year under 5 is excluded at source, and small Quebec counts carry a randomized adjustment made at source. Shares divide by Statistics Canada’s count of live births for the year; the 2024 count is preliminary. Source: Statistics Canada, first names at birth (table 17-10-0147-01)

See the full list for Canada →

Scotland

1 in 3,100

In Scotland, 15 boys named Ivan were registered in 2024, the 268th most common name among boys that year.

1974peak 2022

share of that year’s name registrations

Births registered in Scotland; different spellings count separately but accents are merged at source, and any spelling under 3 in total is suppressed. Source: National Records of Scotland, babies' first names

See the full list for Scotland →

England and Wales

1 in 3,700

In England and Wales, 159 boys named Ivan were born in 2025, the 283rd most common name among boys that year.

1996peak 2022

share of that year’s name registrations

Birth registrations in England and Wales (not the whole UK); exact spellings are counted separately, and any spelling under 3 in a year is withheld at source. Source: Office for National Statistics, baby names in England and Wales

See the full list for England and Wales →

Poland

1 in 4,800

In Poland, 51 boys named Ivan were born in 2025, the 172nd most common name among boys that year.

2000peak 2022

share of that year’s name registrations

First names given to children born in Poland by year of birth, 2000–2025, from the PESEL population register (Ministry of Digital Affairs); exact spellings count separately (Łukasz and Lukasz are different names), names given fewer than 5 times in a year were left off the list through 2012 and fewer than 2 times from 2013, and the register also counts children born abroad, so its yearly sums run above Poland’s live births. Shares divide by the register’s own published total for the year, never by births. Source: Ministry of Digital Affairs, PESEL register (dane.gov.pl)

See the full list for Poland →

Ireland

1 in 4,900

In Ireland, 11 boys named Ivan were born in 2025, the 348th most common name among boys that year.

peak 19692025

share of that year’s name registrations

Exact registered spellings from Irish vital statistics; any name under 3 in a year is withheld at source, and accented spellings (fadas) are recorded reliably only from 2018. Source: Central Statistics Office (Ireland), Irish babies' names

See the full list for Ireland →

New Zealand

1 in 5,800

In New Zealand, 10 boys named Ivan were registered in 2025.

peak 19282025

share of that year’s name registrations

First given names from New Zealand birth registrations, grouped by registration year; any name under 10 in a year is excluded at source. Shares divide by Stats NZ’s count of births registered to mothers living in New Zealand, under 1% below the registry’s own count. Source: Department of Internal Affairs (New Zealand), baby name popularity over time

See the full list for New Zealand →

South Australia

1 in 6,100 · 2017

In South Australia, 3 boys were registered as Ivan in 2017.

peak 19472017

share of that year’s name registrations

Births registered in South Australia (not all of Australia) by first name and year of registration, 1944–2017, from the state’s Births, Deaths and Marriages registry, which publishes every name down to a single birth in capitals; a spelling its export repeats inside a year is counted once, and from 2018 only a top 100 is published, so the series ends at 2017. Source: Consumer and Business Services (South Australia), popular baby names

See the full list for South Australia →

France

1 in 8,600

In France, about 75 boys named Ivan were born in 2025, the 572nd most common name among boys that year.

1900peak 19692025

share of that year’s births on record

Births in France by year of birth, from INSEE’s fichier des prénoms (1900–2025; Mayotte from 2012); exact spellings count separately (Léo and Leo are different names), any spelling under 3 in a year and sex is withheld at source, every count is rounded to the nearest 5 at source, and nametree keeps the spellings that reached 20 in some year. Shares divide by INSEE’s count of births in France from 1957, and before that by the file’s own total for the year; INSEE says the file is not complete before 1946. Source: Insee, fichier des prénoms (last updated 2026-07-16)

See the full list for France →

All records: the most popular baby names around the world →

When you meet Ivan

Most people given the name Ivan in the United States are teenagers or young adults today.

Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.

Names that fit alongside Ivan

Danilo Dominic Benjamin James Casimir Nicholas

Where Ivan travels

Ukrainian · Ukrainian form of John: God is gracious

Keep exploring

Names like Ivan · Nicknames for Ivan · Russian baby names · Ukrainian baby names · Short names

Name trails: explore connections from Ivan →

The Ivan deep dive

Written for you · $1.99 →

Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Ivan truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Ivan fits with your family’s names and surname.

Both reports, explained →

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