Van
Boy name · #970 in 2025 · Rare
Van ranks #970 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 236 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #827, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 7,627 boys born in 2025 was named Van.
The 145-year story
Van first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 33 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1954, when 573 boys were named Van — good for #298 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Van per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Van against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Van in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Van is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Van will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Van is most common
Geography matters for names, and Van is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Van is most common in UT (0.7 per 1,000), AZ (0.3 per 1,000), MI (0.2 per 1,000), CA (0.1 per 1,000), FL (0.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.2 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Van is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Van
Statistically, parents drawn to Van tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Von, Vaughn, Allan, Darwin, and Rex.
VonVaughnAllanDarwinRexJanVinceVance
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Van | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 236 | #970 |
| 2024 | 257 | #909 |
| 2023 | 255 | #910 |
| 2022 | 242 | #943 |
| 2021 | 265 | #871 |
| 2020 | 260 | #868 |
| 2019 | 257 | #862 |
| 2018 | 267 | #832 |
| 2017 | 236 | #907 |
| 2016 | 236 | #911 |
| 2015 | 273 | #827 |
| 2014 | 300 | #776 |
| 2013 | 255 | #838 |
| 2012 | 249 | #853 |
| 2011 | 283 | #787 |
| 2010 | 300 | #753 |
| 2009 | 295 | #774 |
| 2008 | 274 | #799 |
| 2007 | 263 | #809 |
| 2006 | 214 | #906 |
| 2005 | 174 | #990 |
| 2004 | 153 | #1053 |
| 2003 | 143 | #1082 |
| 2002 | 110 | #1236 |
| 2001 | 97 | #1337 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Van a popular boy name?
Van ranked #970 among boys in 2025 with 236 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #827.
When was the name Van most popular?
Van peaked in 1954, when 573 American boys received the name (ranked #298 that year). Since 1954 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Van?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 7,627 newborn American boys was named Van. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.