Van
Van was the 972nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 236 babies. Its best year was 1891, when it ranked 234th; the most babies were born in 1954 (573). Over the last ten years it has moved down 145 places. More babies were named Van in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning short form of names ending in -van · English, Dutch
Say it VAN /væn/
- Rank in 2025
- #972 boys, down 104 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 236boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1954573 babies
- Total since 1880
- 31,194babies recorded
What does the name Van mean?
Van is mostly a short form of names such as Vance, Evan, Ivan and Donovan, and occasionally of Vanessa for girls, according to Wiktionary and Wikipedia. It also echoes the Dutch surname particle van, "of, from", as in Van Buren. In the US it has been used since the 19th century and was most common in the mid-20th century.
van (Dutch, “of, from”)
How sure is this? Probable. Van has several possible sources; its meaning depends on the name it shortens.
Related names: Vance, Evan, Ivan, Donovan, Vanessa.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Van', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Van (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Van (Dutch)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Van popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 1,762 since 1888, 8 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #972 | 236 |
| 2020 | #868 | 260 |
| 2010 | #754 | 300 |
| 2000 | #1,478 | 84 |
| 1990 | #877 | 138 |
| 1980 | #706 | 152 |
| 1970 | #521 | 241 |
| 1960 | #357 | 479 |
| 1950 | #311 | 482 |
| 1940 | #438 | 176 |
| 1930 | #387 | 219 |
| 1920 | #400 | 217 |
| 1910 | #394 | 45 |
| 1900 | #273 | 57 |
| 1890 | #343 | 27 |
| 1880 | #290 | 33 |
How popular is Van, counting every spelling?
Van is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #830 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #972 for Van on its own. Together these spellings went to 280 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Van | 236 | #972 | 1,255 |
| Vann | 24 | #4,379 | 132 |
| Vonn | 14 | #6,428 | 78 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Van?
236 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Van (0.07 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Van born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 36 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Van.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Van?
About 18,300 people born in the US named Van are alive today, with a median age of 53; half are between 18 and 69. That makes Van mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Van by state
How common Van was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Utah (4.8×), Indiana (1.9×), Arizona (1.9×), Colorado (1.6×). In 25 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Van: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Van, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Van · Sibling names for Van
Van is also a nickname for Donovan.
Questions about the name Van
What does Van mean?
Van means “short form of names ending in -van” (English, Dutch origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Van?
Van was the 972nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 236 babies. Its best year was 1891, when it ranked 234th; the most babies were born in 1954 (573). Over the last ten years it has moved down 145 places. More babies were named Van in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Van a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Van in the US.
Where is Van most popular?
In 2021–2025, Van was most common in Utah (0.70 per 1,000 boys), followed by Indiana and Arizona.