Boy · #978 in 2026

Vance

Vance is a given name which may refer to:

Current Rank
#978
Peak Rank
#328 (1969)
Total Babies
27K
5-Yr Trend
-3%
1893
First Year
1988
Last Year
1915
Peak Year
#2900
Peak Rank
138
Total Count
23
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Vance

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Vance is a given name which may refer to:

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Vance

Vance first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1969, when 555 Vances were born — ranking #328 that year. As of 2026, Vance ranks #978 for baby boys with 230 births, holding steady (-3%). In total, more than 27K Vances have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Notable people named Vance

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.

  • Vance Amory (1949–2022), Premier of Nevis
  • Vance Bourjaily (1922–2010), American novelist, playwright, journalist and essayist
  • Vance D. Brand (born 1931), NASA astronaut
  • Vance Breese (1904–1973), American aviation engineer and test pilot
  • Vance DeGeneres (born 1954), American musician, actor and comedian.
  • Vance Dixon (1901–?), American musician
  • Vance Hartke (1919–2003), American politician
  • Vance Johnson (born 1963), American retired National Football League player and long jumper

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Names that sound like Vance

Phonetically similar names — useful when Vance 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 Vance

What does the name Vance mean?
Vance is a given name which may refer to:
How popular is Vance in 2026?
In 2026, Vance ranks #978 among boys' names in the U.S., with 230 babies given the name that year.
When was Vance most popular?
Vance reached its peak popularity in 1969, ranking #328 that year with 555 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Vance most popular?
Vance has historically been most popular in Wyoming, North Carolina, Hawaii. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Vance.
Is Vance a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Vance is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Vance?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Vance include Dudley, Rusty, Ari. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Vance

Vance is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 27K births in the dataset. Vance's peak popularity came in 1969 when it ranked #328. Use the chart and map above to compare Vance's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.