Van
A diminutive of the female given name Vanessa.
Every Van since 1880 — 31,194 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Van
Van is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #972 in 2025 with 236 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 31,194 American babies have been named Van — about 94% boys and 6% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1953, when 591 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1950s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Van stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Van year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8 | #11,852 | 236 | #972 |
| 2024 | 10 | #10,211 | 257 | #913 |
| 2023 | 16 | #7,225 | 255 | #910 |
| 2022 | 6 | #15,171 | 242 | #944 |
| 2021 | 8 | #12,123 | 265 | #876 |
| 2020 | 10 | #10,199 | 260 | #868 |
| 2019 | 11 | #9,693 | 257 | #866 |
| 2018 | 12 | #9,119 | 267 | #836 |
| 2017 | 18 | #6,786 | 236 | #908 |
| 2016 | 20 | #6,387 | 236 | #917 |
| 2015 | 24 | #5,644 | 273 | #827 |
| 2014 | 18 | #6,967 | 300 | #778 |
| 2013 | 13 | #9,014 | 255 | #840 |
| 2012 | 27 | #5,247 | 249 | #854 |
| 2011 | 23 | #5,925 | 283 | #790 |
| 2010 | 12 | #9,749 | 300 | #754 |
| 2009 | 12 | #9,944 | 295 | #774 |
| 2008 | — | — | 274 | #803 |
| 2007 | 5 | #20,398 | 263 | #814 |
| 2006 | 12 | #9,879 | 214 | #908 |
| 2005 | 10 | #10,878 | 174 | #994 |
| 2004 | 11 | #9,857 | 153 | #1,059 |
| 2003 | 5 | #18,294 | 143 | #1,089 |
| 2002 | 16 | #7,029 | 110 | #1,242 |
| 2001 | 16 | #6,946 | 97 | #1,344 |
| 2000 | 15 | #7,142 | 84 | #1,478 |
| 1995 | 13 | #7,024 | 78 | #1,336 |
| 1990 | 25 | #4,117 | 138 | #877 |
| 1985 | 50 | #2,136 | 143 | #745 |
| 1980 | 41 | #2,389 | 152 | #706 |
| 1975 | 9 | #6,464 | 152 | #671 |
| 1970 | 10 | #5,398 | 241 | #521 |
| 1965 | 14 | #3,541 | 408 | #386 |
| 1960 | 16 | #3,204 | 479 | #357 |
| 1955 | 27 | #2,104 | 547 | #313 |
| 1950 | 9 | #3,946 | 482 | #311 |
| 1945 | 12 | #2,737 | 466 | #279 |
| 1940 | 13 | #2,408 | 176 | #438 |
| 1935 | 12 | #2,562 | 182 | #406 |
| 1930 | 7 | #4,014 | 219 | #387 |
| 1925 | 9 | #3,639 | 227 | #397 |
| 1920 | 8 | #3,930 | 217 | #400 |
| 1915 | 6 | #4,232 | 173 | #409 |
| 1910 | — | — | 45 | #394 |
| 1905 | — | — | 34 | #359 |
| 1900 | 5 | #2,202 | 57 | #273 |
| 1895 | — | — | 34 | #315 |
| 1890 | — | — | 27 | #343 |
| 1885 | — | — | 38 | #273 |
| 1880 | — | — | 33 | #290 |
Famous people named Van
- Van Morrison Singer · b. 1945
- Van Heflin Actor · 1908–1971
- Van Cliburn Musician · 1934–2013
- Van Johnson Actor · 1916–2008
- Van McCoy Singer · 1940–1979
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Van mean?
A diminutive of the female given name Vanessa.
How popular is the name Van in 2025?
Van ranked #972 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 236 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Van?
31,194 babies have been named Van in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Van most popular?
Van peaked in 1953, when 591 newborns received the name.
Is Van a boy or girl name?
Van is used for both: about 6% of babies named Van have been girls and 94% boys.
Is the name Van rising or falling?
Van has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Van?
Well-known people named Van include Van Morrison (singer), Van Heflin (actor), Van Cliburn (musician).