Ivan Boy

Popularity: #161 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: EYE-vahn /ˈaɪ.vən/

Origin: Slavic; Hebrew

Meaning: Slavic: God is gracious; Hebrew: God is gracious

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Ivan is derived from the Slavic form of the Hebrew name Yohanan, meaning "God is gracious." This etymological journey begins with the Hebrew יוחנן (Yohanan), which was adopted into Greek as Ἰωάννης (Ioannes). The name then transitioned into Latin as Iohannes, which influenced various European languages.

In the Slavic linguistic context, Ivan emerged as a common variant, particularly in Russian and other Slavic languages, where it has been widely used since the Middle Ages. Historically, the name Ivan has been borne by numerous notable figures, including Ivan IV, commonly known as Ivan the Terrible, who was the Grand Prince of Moscow from 1533 and the first Tsar of Russia from 1547 until his death in 1584.

His reign marked a significant period in Russian history, characterized by the centralization of power and territorial expansion. The name has also been associated with various saints, such as Saint John the Baptist, whose feast day is celebrated in many Christian traditions, further cementing the name's significance in religious contexts.

Culturally, Ivan has resonated throughout literature and folklore, often symbolizing strength and resilience. In Russian literature, characters named Ivan frequently embody archetypal qualities, such as the "everyman" or the heroic figure, as seen in tales like "Ivan Tsarevich" from Russian fairy tales.

The name's enduring presence in Slavic cultures is reflected in its various diminutive forms, such as Vanya, which conveys familiarity and affection. Overall, Ivan's rich historical and cultural background underscores its lasting significance across different eras and regions.

Famous people named Ivan

In this section, you will find notable people named Ivan. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Ivan who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Ivan who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Ivan Pavlov is a physiologist best known for his work in classical conditioning and the concept of the conditioned reflex.

Ivan Turgenev is a novelist and playwright best known for Fathers and Sons, A Month in the Country, and Smoke.

Ivan Aivazovsky is a painter best known for his seascapes and works like The Ninth Wave and The Wave.

Ivan Reitman is a film director and producer best known for Ghostbusters, Animal House, and Twins.

Ivan Lendl is a former professional tennis player best known for winning eight Grand Slam singles titles and his rivalry with John McEnroe.

Ivan the Terrible is a historical figure best known as the first Tsar of Russia and for his reign marked by the expansion of the Russian territory.

Ivan B. Turchin is a mathematician and physicist best known for his contributions to the field of nonlinear dynamics and chaos theory.

Ivan K. Kolesnikov is a physicist best known for his research in quantum optics and photonics.

Fictional characters named Ivan

The following list of fictional characters named Ivan is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Ivan Drago is a fictional character from the film Rocky IV. He is a formidable Soviet boxer who serves as the main antagonist to Rocky Balboa.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Ivan, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

AlexanderNikolaiDmitriMikhailSergeiAnastasiaTatiana

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Ivan. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

EvanIanAidanOwenEliasIsaacElijahIlan

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Ivan was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Ivan has ranked as high as #211 nationally, which occurred in 2004, and has been most popular in California, Texas, New York, Illinois, and Florida.

In the past 5 years the name Ivan has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Ivan is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Ivan was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Ivan.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 2,240 2,240 0
2024 2,354 2,354 0
2023 2,390 2,390 0
2022 2,363 2,363 0
2021 2,291 2,291 0
2020 2,448 2,442 6
2019 2,690 2,690 0
2018 2,911 2,911 0
2017 3,055 3,048 7
2016 3,167 3,161 6
2015 3,053 3,047 6
2014 3,079 3,079 0
2013 2,865 2,859 6
2012 3,239 3,233 6
2011 3,114 3,114 0
2010 2,778 2,772 6
2009 2,998 2,992 6
2008 3,119 3,114 5
2007 3,275 3,275 0
2006 3,321 3,316 5
2005 3,251 3,240 11
2004 3,479 3,462 17
2003 3,162 3,146 16
2002 2,823 2,816 7
2001 2,840 2,826 14
2000 2,542 2,531 11
1999 2,434 2,420 14
1998 2,249 2,242 7
1997 2,169 2,160 9
1996 2,105 2,093 12
1995 1,964 1,949 15
1994 1,869 1,855 14
1993 2,070 2,050 20
1992 2,152 2,133 19
1991 1,885 1,866 19
1990 1,768 1,748 20
1989 1,542 1,532 10
1988 1,341 1,330 11
1987 1,143 1,130 13
1986 1,223 1,205 18
1985 1,065 1,051 14
1984 1,016 1,008 8
1983 1,052 1,043 9
1982 1,100 1,088 12
1981 1,010 1,002 8
1980 918 907 11
1979 807 802 5
1978 744 737 7
1977 804 797 7
1976 669 663 6
1975 735 725 10
1974 668 662 6
1973 570 570 0
1972 700 693 7
1971 706 694 12
1970 675 675 0
1969 650 640 10
1968 646 641 5
1967 609 609 0
1966 627 621 6
1965 638 638 0
1964 614 607 7
1963 655 655 0
1962 679 674 5
1961 675 669 6
1960 606 599 7
1959 611 611 0
1958 620 615 5
1957 577 577 0
1956 624 624 0
1955 569 562 7
1954 499 499 0
1953 463 463 0
1952 495 495 0
1951 420 415 5
1950 472 472 0
1949 463 458 5
1948 467 467 0
1947 517 517 0
1946 477 477 0
1945 437 437 0
1944 454 454 0
1943 547 547 0
1942 486 486 0
1941 496 496 0
1940 546 541 5
1939 523 518 5
1938 526 526 0
1937 554 546 8
1936 513 513 0
1935 587 587 0
1934 612 612 0
1933 534 534 0
1932 627 627 0
1931 646 646 0
1930 676 668 8
1929 659 652 7
1928 769 755 14
1927 769 764 5
1926 773 766 7
1925 761 756 5
1924 794 785 9
1923 791 791 0
1922 755 748 7
1921 829 820 9
1920 791 791 0
1919 702 702 0
1918 759 749 10
1917 765 756 9
1916 728 723 5
1915 667 662 5
1914 445 439 6
1913 316 316 0
1912 339 339 0
1911 137 137 0
1910 109 109 0
1909 111 111 0
1908 95 95 0
1907 96 96 0
1906 80 80 0
1905 83 83 0
1904 73 73 0
1903 70 70 0
1902 71 71 0
1901 60 60 0
1900 90 90 0
1899 59 59 0
1898 80 80 0
1897 70 70 0
1896 72 72 0
1895 49 49 0
1894 57 57 0
1893 50 50 0
1892 54 54 0
1891 42 42 0
1890 38 38 0
1889 47 47 0
1888 32 32 0
1887 26 26 0
1886 34 34 0
1885 26 26 0
1884 27 27 0
1883 29 29 0
1882 25 25 0
1881 18 18 0
1880 28 28 0

Top States for Ivan (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 498
21%
TX 419
18%
FL 101
4%
AZ 93
4%
IL 76
3%
NY 73
3%
OH 63
3%
PA 61
3%
NC 54
2%
WA 54
2%
CO 54
2%
MI 50
2%
GA 49
2%
IN 44
2%
VA 39
2%
MN 38
2%
TN 38
2%
NJ 38
2%
AL 36
2%
OR 34
1%
NV 33
1%
WI 30
1%
KS 30
1%
NM 29
1%
IA 27
1%
OK 25
1%
MO 23
1%
ID 22
1%
SC 22
1%
MD 19
1%
MA 17
1%
LA 16
1%
NE 16
1%
KY 16
1%
CT 12
1%
UT 12
1%
ND 8
0%
AR 8
0%
DE 8
0%
MS 8
0%
SD 7
0%
MT 6
0%
ME 6
0%
WV 6
0%
NH 6
0%