Vlad
Vlad is a Romanian male name. It is more commonly a nativized hypocorism of Vladislav and can also be used as a surname. Alternately, it may be a hypocoristic form of the Slavic name Vladimir. It may refer to:
- Romanian
- Russian
- Ukrainian
Meaning & Origin of Vlad
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Vlad is a Romanian male name. It is more commonly a nativized hypocorism of Vladislav and can also be used as a surname. Alternately, it may be a hypocoristic form of the Slavic name Vladimir. It may refer to:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Romanian
- Russian
- Ukrainian
The Story of Vlad
The earliest SSA record of Vlad as a baby boy name dates back to 1995, when 7 babies received it. 2004 was its biggest year on record, with 26 newborns named Vlad — #3,534 in the national rankings. About 39% of every Vlad on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Vlad ranks #6,986 for baby boys with 11 births, falling sharply (-30%). All told, over 550 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1990s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Vlad
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Vlad. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Notable people named Vlad
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Vlad II Dracul (before 1395 – 1448), voivode of Wallachia
- Vlad the Impaler (1428/31 – 1476/77), voivode of Wallachia as Vlad III, inspiration for the character Count Dracula
- Vlad Călugărul (before 1425? – 1495), voivode of Wallachia as Vlad IV, half-brother of Vlad the Impaler
- Vlad cel Tânăr (1494–1512), voivode of Wallachia as Vlad V
- Vlad VI Înecatul (c. 1508 – 1532), voivode of Wallachia
- Vlad Vintilă de la Slatina (died 1535), voivode of Wallachia as Vlad VII
- Vlad Achim (born 1989), Romanian footballer
- Vlad Bădălicescu (born 1988), Romanian rugby union footballer
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Vlad
Phonetically similar names — useful when Vlad 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 Vlad
What does the name Vlad mean?
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In which U.S. states is Vlad most popular?
Is Vlad a unisex name?
What names go well with Vlad?
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About the name Vlad
Vlad is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1995 and has accumulated 550 births in the dataset. Vlad's peak popularity came in 2004 when it ranked #3,534. Use the chart and map above to compare Vlad's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2004 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "V" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.