How to say it
VIN · cent
/ˈvɪn.sənt/
Masculine
Vincent
To conquer, prevailing
What it means
From Latin vincens ('conquering'), the present participle of vincere. Saint Vincent de Paul (the 17th-century French priest who organized care for the poor) and Vincent van Gogh anchor the name in different centuries.
Vincent comes from the Latin vincens, the present participle of vincere ('to conquer'). The name spread through medieval Christianity via several saints, most famously Saint Vincent of Saragossa (a 4th-century Spanish martyr) and Saint Vincent de Paul (the 17th-century French priest whose order of nuns transformed Catholic charity). Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) gave the name its strongest modern cultural anchor; Vincent Price the horror actor, Vincent (the Don McLean song about van Gogh, 1971), and Vince Carter the basketball player all carry weight. The English Vincent has been steady through the centuries; it's been in the US top 200 since the 1990s. Vince is the standard short.
Popularity over time
peaked at #58 in 1966, currently #107 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Vince is the universal short. Some families use the Italian Vinny.
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.
- Vincent van Gogh Dutch post-Impressionist painter, Starry Night and the Sunflowers
- Saint Vincent de Paul 17th-century French priest, organizer of Catholic charity for the poor
- Vincent Price American actor, the horror-genre icon
Spelling variants
- Vincenzo
- Vicente
Names with the same feeling
See Vincent from another angle
By meaning
By style