Ivan

How to say it

/ˈaɪ.vən/

What it means

Russian form of John, from Hebrew Yochanan via Greek Iōannēs. Five Russian tsars were Ivans, most famously Ivan the Terrible (Ivan IV) and Ivan the Great (Ivan III).

Ivan is the Russian (and Bulgarian, Serbian, Croatian) form of John, from the Hebrew Yochanan ('Yahweh is gracious') via Greek Iōannēs. Five Russian tsars were Ivans, most famously Ivan III ('the Great,' 1462-1505, who consolidated Russia) and Ivan IV ('the Terrible,' 1547-1584, who created the first centralized Russian state and a fearsome reputation). The English-speaking US has used Ivan in earnest since the 1970s with broader Slavic-name adoption; it surged again in the 2000s with Russian-Latino crossover usage. It's been in the US top 200 since 2009. Pronunciation EYE-van in standard US English; ee-VAHN in Russian.

Heads-up notes

• Pronunciation

  EYE-van in standard US English (two syllables, stress on first); ee-VAHN in Russian and many Spanish-speaking communities (stress on second).

Who's worn it

Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.

• Ivan the Terrible Ivan IV of Russia, first tsar of a centralized Russia, 1547-1584
• Ivan Lendl Czechoslovak tennis player, eight Grand Slam singles titles

Spelling variants

• Iwan
• John

Names with the same feeling

• Luka From Lucania, or 'light'
• Matias Gift of Yahweh
• Alejandro Defender of people
• Carlos Free man
• Diego Supplanter

See Ivan from another angle