Total births
29,432
Unisex name · since 1880
Van
Van has 29,432 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1954 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #909
- among boys today
- 29,432
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
Van currently ranks #909 among unisex names in America, with 29,432 babies recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Van recorded 29,432 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #909 nationally today, ahead of 94% of boys, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #909 among boys today
- 29,432 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 94% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Van is currently the #909 unisex name in America, more common than 94% of boys - 29,432 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #909
- among boys today
- 29,432
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
Van vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#909
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 94% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Van was born in this single decade.
1954
Single peak year
573 babies were named Van in 1954 - its busiest year on record.
How Van compares
29,432 Top 5% higher than 95% 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
Van's all-time total is 80x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Van | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 29,432 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 573 | 23 | 22,252 |
Van's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Van's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 60% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 40%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1906, with only 25 births recorded -- set against the 1954 peak of 573, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Van at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1954
Current rank
#909
Active since
1880
Van popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1954)
- 573
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Van popularity over time - girls
1,762 total births recorded since 1888 (Van as girls' name)
Van by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Van's strongest decade.
5,090 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Van births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 356
1880s
356 births
- 1890s 363
1890s
363 births
- 1900s 362
1900s
362 births
- 1910s 1,290
1910s
1,290 births
- 1920s
1920s
2,163 births
- 1930s 1,947
1930s
1,947 births
- 1940s
1940s
3,764 births
- 1950s
1950s
5,090 births
- 1960s
1960s
3,933 births
- 1970s 1,741
1970s
1,741 births
- 1980s 1,414
1980s
1,414 births
- 1990s 1,031
1990s
1,031 births
- 2000s 1,807
2000s
1,807 births
- 2010s
2010s
2,656 births
- 2020s 1,515
2020s
1,515 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 5,090 births (17% of all-time use).
How Van 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 Van's total volume
Van vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Van by state
Where Van concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 2,570 | 8.7% |
| #2 | California | | 2,015 | 6.8% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 1,380 | 4.7% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 1,169 | 4.0% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 1,147 | 3.9% |
| #6 | Louisiana | | 1,021 | 3.5% |
| #7 | Mississippi | | 988 | 3.4% |
| #8 | Florida | | 984 | 3.3% |
Texas share of Van's total US births 8.7%
Even split
2,570 of 29,432 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 43 reporting states.
Van appears in 43 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Van? ▼
Van has been given to 29,432 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #909 as of the latest data. 573 babies were born in 1954, its single highest year.
When was Van most popular? ▼
Van was most popular in the 1950s decade with 5,090 total births. The single peak year was 1954.
Where is Van most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Van are Texas (2,570 births), California (2,015 births), North Carolina (1,380 births).
Is Van a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Van is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 29,432 births, and as a girl's name it has 1,762 births.
How long has the name Van been used? ▼
Records for Van go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Van? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Vance, Vann, Vander, Vanessa, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Van's data
- Van's decade-level peak was the 1950s (5,090 total births); usage has since declined to 1,515 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Vans (2,570 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Van
Nearby Names Like Van
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Van
Vance Boy
#993 27,012 births
Vann Boy
#5072 2,057 births
Vander Boy
#1796 1,828 births
Vanessa Boy
984 births
Vansh Boy
#4280 718 births
Compare Van side by side: Van vs Vance Van vs Vann Van vs Vander
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Van
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Van: #909 Unisex Name - 29,432 Births, Peak 1954." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/van. 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 Van 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.