Vance Boy
Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: Vans /væns/
Origin: English; French
Meaning: English: marshland; French: from the marsh
Historical & Cultural Background
The name Vance has its roots in the Old English word "fenn," which means "marsh" or "fen." This term evolved through the Middle English period, where it was used to describe someone who lived near or in a marshy area. The name likely entered the English lexicon as a surname before transitioning into a given name.
The surname Vance is believed to have originated in England, particularly in the regions of East Anglia, and it can be traced back to the 13th century. Historically, the name Vance has been associated with various notable figures, although specific references in historical texts are sparse.
The surname gained some prominence in the 19th century, particularly in the United States, where it was borne by several influential individuals. One notable figure is the American politician and lawyer Zebulon Baird Vance, who served as the Governor of North Carolina during the Civil War era in the 1860s.
His legacy contributed to the name's recognition in American history. Culturally, the name Vance carries connotations of strength and resilience, likely stemming from its association with the natural landscape of marshes, which can be both challenging and beautiful.
The name has also been linked to various literary works and artistic expressions, reflecting themes of nature and the human experience. While diminutive forms or variations of Vance are not widely noted, the name's straightforward phonetic structure lends itself to affectionate adaptations in informal contexts.
Overall, Vance embodies a connection to the English landscape and has historical significance through its association with notable figures and cultural narratives.
Famous people named Vance
In this section, you will find notable people named Vance. 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 Vance who have made a significant impact on popular culture.
We also feature individuals named Vance 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.
Vance Joy is a singer-songwriter best known for Riptide, Mess Is Mine, and Saturday Sun.
Vance Packard was a social critic and author best known for The Hidden Persuaders, The Waste Makers, and The Status Seekers.
Fictional characters named Vance
The following list of fictional characters named Vance 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.
Vance is a fictional character from the video game series Fallout. He is a member of the Brotherhood of Steel and plays a significant role in the storyline of Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel.
Sibling suggestions
If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Vance, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.
Similar names
Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Vance. 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.
U.S. Historical Usage
The name Vance was first seen in the United States in 1880.
Vance has ranked as high as #655 nationally, which occurred in 1969, and has been most popular in California, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York.
In the past 5 years the name Vance has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.
Popularity Over Time (National)
The name Vance 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 Vance was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.
Top States for Vance (2024)
We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. In some cases, you may see four or five states listed. However, we only display states where the name represents a significant percentage of births, so the number of states shown can range from one to several.
| State | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|
| CA | 24 | |
| OH | 15 | |
| TX | 14 | |
| NC | 13 | |
| FL | 12 | |
| PA | 9 | |
| IN | 9 | |
| MN | 9 | |
| WI | 8 | |
| MD | 8 | |
| UT | 8 | |
| WA | 7 | |
| GA | 6 | |
| MO | 5 | |
| TN | 5 |
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 Vance.
| Year | Births |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 226 |
| 2023 | 237 |
| 2022 | 229 |
| 2021 | 242 |
| 2020 | 221 |
| 2019 | 245 |
| 2018 | 220 |
| 2017 | 265 |
| 2016 | 248 |
| 2015 | 318 |
| 2014 | 246 |
| 2013 | 245 |
| 2012 | 255 |
| 2011 | 300 |
| 2010 | 289 |
| 2009 | 294 |
| 2008 | 290 |
| 2007 | 318 |
| 2006 | 298 |
| 2005 | 261 |
| 2004 | 231 |
| 2003 | 242 |
| 2002 | 198 |
| 2001 | 170 |
| 2000 | 141 |
| 1999 | 165 |
| 1998 | 135 |
| 1997 | 175 |
| 1996 | 162 |
| 1995 | 162 |
| 1994 | 186 |
| 1993 | 218 |
| 1992 | 237 |
| 1991 | 243 |
| 1990 | 246 |
| 1989 | 262 |
| 1988 | 244 |
| 1987 | 212 |
| 1986 | 162 |
| 1985 | 162 |
| 1984 | 160 |
| 1983 | 198 |
| 1982 | 171 |
| 1981 | 152 |
| 1980 | 152 |
| 1979 | 162 |
| 1978 | 172 |
| 1977 | 145 |
| 1976 | 209 |
| 1975 | 166 |
| 1974 | 176 |
| 1973 | 250 |
| 1972 | 226 |
| 1971 | 340 |
| 1970 | 407 |
| 1969 | 555 |
| 1968 | 331 |
| 1967 | 288 |
| 1966 | 299 |
| 1965 | 384 |
| 1964 | 406 |
| 1963 | 457 |
| 1962 | 431 |
| 1961 | 463 |
| 1960 | 450 |
| 1959 | 411 |
| 1958 | 376 |
| 1957 | 462 |
| 1956 | 359 |
| 1955 | 321 |
| 1954 | 279 |
| 1953 | 338 |
| 1952 | 309 |
| 1951 | 304 |
| 1950 | 261 |
| 1949 | 267 |
| 1948 | 249 |
| 1947 | 281 |
| 1946 | 224 |
| 1945 | 208 |
| 1944 | 189 |
| 1943 | 166 |
| 1942 | 150 |
| 1941 | 176 |
| 1940 | 165 |
| 1939 | 149 |
| 1938 | 152 |
| 1937 | 137 |
| 1936 | 166 |
| 1935 | 143 |
| 1934 | 168 |
| 1933 | 146 |
| 1932 | 134 |
| 1931 | 150 |
| 1930 | 156 |
| 1929 | 142 |
| 1928 | 180 |
| 1927 | 168 |
| 1926 | 171 |
| 1925 | 186 |
| 1924 | 152 |
| 1923 | 166 |
| 1922 | 199 |
| 1921 | 164 |
| 1920 | 207 |
| 1919 | 158 |
| 1918 | 190 |
| 1917 | 196 |
| 1916 | 177 |
| 1915 | 132 |
| 1914 | 134 |
| 1913 | 108 |
| 1912 | 71 |
| 1911 | 37 |
| 1910 | 30 |
| 1909 | 40 |
| 1908 | 30 |
| 1907 | 19 |
| 1906 | 19 |
| 1905 | 26 |
| 1904 | 19 |
| 1903 | 25 |
| 1902 | 23 |
| 1901 | 13 |
| 1900 | 15 |
| 1899 | 15 |
| 1898 | 17 |
| 1897 | 12 |
| 1896 | 18 |
| 1895 | 26 |
| 1894 | 20 |
| 1893 | 19 |
| 1892 | 18 |
| 1891 | 19 |
| 1890 | 13 |
| 1889 | 12 |
| 1888 | 7 |
| 1887 | 10 |
| 1886 | 9 |
| 1885 | 12 |
| 1884 | 13 |
| 1883 | 9 |
| 1882 | 5 |
| 1881 | 7 |
| 1880 | 7 |