Total births
9,984
Unisex name · since 1966
Jovan
9,984 babies named Jovan in U.S. Social Security records since 1966, with the highest year being 1998. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1745
- among boys today
- 9,984
- born since 1966
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 88%
- more common than other boys
9,984 babies have been named Jovan since 1966, making it today's #1745 unisex name.
Social Security Administration records show Jovan recorded 9,984 times among boys since 1966, holding rank #1745 nationally today, ahead of 88% of boys, peaking in the 1990s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1966 to 2025.
- #1745 among boys today
- 9,984 born since 1966
- 1990s peak decade
- 88% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Jovan is currently the #1745 unisex name in America, more common than 88% of boys - 9,984 born since 1966, peaking in the 1990s.
- #1745
- among boys today
- 9,984
- born since 1966
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 88%
- more common than other boys
Jovan vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1745
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 88% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
25% of everyone ever named Jovan was born in this single decade.
1998
Single peak year
270 babies were named Jovan in 1998 - its busiest year on record.
How Jovan compares
9,984 Top 8% higher than 92% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Jovan's all-time total is 27x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Jovan | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 9,984 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 270 | 23 | 22,252 |
Jovan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Jovan's SSA record in two at 1997 and the more recent half accounts for 53% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 47%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1972, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1998 peak of 270, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Jovan at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1998
Current rank
#1,745
Active since
1966
Jovan popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1966–2025
- Peak year (1998)
- 270
- Annual births at peak, across 60 years of records
Jovan popularity over time - girls
1,079 total births recorded since 1974 (Jovan as girls' name)
Jovan by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Jovan's strongest decade.
2,452 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Jovan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 6
1960s
6 births
- 1970s 831
1970s
831 births
- 1980s
1980s
2,159 births
- 1990s
1990s
2,452 births
- 2000s
2000s
2,378 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,520 births
- 2020s 638
2020s
638 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 2,452 births (25% of all-time use).
How Jovan compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Jovan's total volume
Jovan vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Jovan by state
Where Jovan concentrates geographically, total births since 1966
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,520 | 15.2% |
| #2 | New York | | 934 | 9.4% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 849 | 8.5% |
| #4 | Texas | | 772 | 7.7% |
| #5 | Florida | | 698 | 7.0% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 388 | 3.9% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 342 | 3.4% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 321 | 3.2% |
California share of Jovan's total US births 15.2%
Even split
1,520 of 9,984 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 31 reporting states.
Jovan appears in 31 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Jovan? ▼
9,984 babies have been named Jovan since 1966. It currently ranks #1745 among boys. The peak year was 1998 with 270 births.
When was Jovan most popular? ▼
Jovan was most popular in the 1990s decade with 2,452 total births. The single peak year was 1998.
Where is Jovan most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Jovan are California (1,520 births), New York (934 births), Illinois (849 births).
Is Jovan a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Jovan is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 9,984 births, and as a girl's name it has 1,079 births.
How long has the name Jovan been used? ▼
Jovan has been recorded in Social Security data since 1966, spanning 60 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Jovan? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Jovani, Jovanni, Jovanny, Jovany, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Jovan's data
- Jovan's decade-level peak was the 1990s (2,452 total births); usage has since declined to 638 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Jovans (1,520 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Jovan
Nearby Names Like Jovan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Jovan
Jovani Boy
#1173 7,355 births
Jovanni Boy
#1112 6,835 births
Jovanny Boy
#2491 4,874 births
Jovany Boy
#2981 4,679 births
Jovon Boy
#6938 2,727 births
Compare Jovan side by side: Jovan vs Jovani Jovan vs Jovanni Jovan vs Jovanny
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Jovan
Deangelo #1744
12,279 births · Peak 1990
Aziz #1746
1,849 births · Peak 2024
Camron #1743
14,813 births · Peak 2003
Kasai #1747
1,065 births · Peak 2025
Kasper #1742
1,389 births · Peak 2024
Roen #1748
1,005 births · Peak 2024
Jacobo #1741
3,486 births · Peak 2023
Karmelo #1749
1,391 births · Peak 2021
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1966–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Jovan: #1745 Unisex Name - 9,984 Births, Peak 1998." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/jovan. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Jovan draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.