Jovan
Jovan is a Serbian male given name equivalent to English "John" or Slavic "Ivan", from Hebrew: יהוחנן. The name is common amongst Orthodox Christians as a result of John the Baptist
- Serbian
- Macedonian
Meaning & Origin of Jovan
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Jovan is a Serbian male given name equivalent to English "John" or Slavic "Ivan", from Hebrew: יהוחנן. The name is common amongst Orthodox Christians as a result of John the Baptist
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Serbian
- Macedonian
The Story of Jovan
As a girl name
Jovan first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1974, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1981, when 90 Jovans were born — ranking #1,368 that year. As of 2026, Jovan ranks #13,843 for girls with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 1K Jovans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Jovan first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1966, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1998, when 270 Jovans were born — ranking #648 that year. As of 2026, Jovan ranks #1,885 for boys with 86 births, falling sharply (-19%). In total, more than 10K Jovans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Jovan
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Jovan. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Jovan
Phonetically similar names — useful when Jovan is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jovan
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About the name Jovan
Jovan is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1966 and has accumulated 10K births in the dataset. Jovan's peak popularity came in 1998 when it ranked #554. Use the chart and map above to compare Jovan's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1998 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "J" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.