More details about the name “Ivan”
Slavic baby names like Ivan derive from the Hebrew name Yochanan. This name means God is gracious or God’s grace. It is a popular name in Eastern Europe particularly in Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria and other Slavic-speaking countries. This name is often seen as a symbol of nobility and strength. It became well-known due to historical figures such as Ivan the Terrible the Tsar of Russia and famous people like Ivan Pavlov the famous Russian physiologist. There are many beautiful and meaningful choices available for girl names that start with I.
In literature, it appears in works like Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott and The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling. Variants of this name include Iván, Ivo and Vanya. This name is widely used across the world, especially in regions with Slavic heritage and is linked to qualities of grace, nobility and spirituality. Its pronunciation is EE-vahn being common in Slavic languages and EYE-van in English-speaking regions. This name still ranks in the top 200-300 names for boys in recent years.
Source: Social Security Administration, Girl Names Data