Van
Van is a masculine given name and nickname, sometimes a short form of Donovan, Evan, Ivan, Vance, or the feminine Vanessa. It may refer to:
Meaning & Origin of Van
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Van is a masculine given name and nickname, sometimes a short form of Donovan, Evan, Ivan, Vance, or the feminine Vanessa. It may refer to:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Van
As a girl name
Van first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1888, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1983, when 58 Vans were born — ranking #1,817 that year. As of 2026, Van ranks #8,283 for girls with 12 births, gradually falling (-7%). In total, more than 2K Vans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Van first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1880, with 33 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1953, when 572 Vans were born — ranking #294 that year. As of 2026, Van ranks #920 for boys with 252 births, holding steady (-2%). In total, more than 30K Vans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Van
Phonetically similar names — useful when Van 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 Van
What does the name Van mean?
How popular is Van in 2026?
When was Van most popular?
In which U.S. states is Van most popular?
Is Van a unisex name?
What names go well with Van?
About the name Van
Van is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 30K births in the dataset. Van's peak popularity came in 1953 when it ranked #233. Use the chart and map above to compare Van's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1953 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "V" →
- 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.