A name. A world of connections.

Иван

“God is gracious”

Language contexts for this entry: Russian, Bulgarian, Macedonian and 4 more

masculineCyrillic script

Hear the name

Origin: Hebrew
7 language contexts: Russian Bulgarian Macedonian +4 more
Follow the evidence: 10 cited sources Source-reported

01 / Meaning & origin

About Иван

Иван is a masculine given name documented in Russian, Bulgarian, Macedonian and 4 other languages. English Wiktionary traces it to Hebrew יוֹחָנָן via Old East Slavic, Church Slavic and Ancient Greek, with the stated meaning “God is gracious”.

2 source accounts

Hebrew origin

Source-reported

Meaning: “God is gracious”

Inherited from Old East Slavic Иваннъ (Ivannŭ), from Old East Slavic and Old Church Slavonic Іѡаннъ (Ioannŭ), from Ancient Greek Ἰωάννης (Iōánnēs), from Hebrew יוֹחָנָן (Yôḥānān, “God is gracious”). Compare Иоанн (Ioann), a borrowing from either Old Church Slavonic Іѡаннъ (Ioannŭ) or German Johann.

Sources for this account (6)

Wiktionary: ИванCC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
Greek Wiktionary: ИванCC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
French Wiktionary: ИванCC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-14
Polish Wiktionary: ИванCC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-14
Russian Wiktionary: ИванCC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-14
Chinese Wiktionary: ИванCC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-14

Explore 1 more accountHide additional accountsSource accounts may describe the same origin.

French Wiktionary accountSource-reportedDu russe.

Du russe.

Sources for this account (1)

French Wiktionary: ИванCC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-14

Documented usage

View usage notes (7)

Masculine usage · Wikidata Q21104340
Masculine usage in Bulgarian · Wiktionary: Иван
Masculine usage in Macedonian · Wiktionary: Иван
Masculine usage in Ruthenian · Wiktionary: Иван
Masculine usage in Russian · Wiktionary: Иван
Masculine usage in Serbo-Croatian · Wiktionary: Иван
Masculine usage in Serbian · Polish Wiktionary: Иван

Explore all 7 language contexts

Linguistic usage labels come from name dictionaries. They are separate from the sex categories recorded in statistical files.

Spelling and script

Written form “Иван” in the Cyrillic script. Wikidata item Q21104340.

Transliterations (search aids): Iván, Ivan, Ivan, Iván, Ìvan.

All pronunciation details (7)

[ɪˈvan] — Russian
\ɪ.ˈvan\ — Russian
[ɪ.ˈvan] — Russian
[iˈvan] — Bulgarian
[ˈivan] — Macedonian
[ˈivan] — Ruthenian
/ǐʋan/ — Serbo-Croatian

02 / Across borders

Where Иван is used

Explore published naming statistics and documented language connections around the world.

The name atlas

Across borders

countries in our sources

Select a country to follow Иван’s connections around the world.

0 countries with published statistics. Language records show cultural connections; they do not measure how common a name is.

Selected country

Russia

Language records

Documented as a given name in Russian.

Explore Russia

2 of 2 countries

03 / By the numbers

Popularity over time

Follow the spelling through the years, one published dataset at a time.

No official statistics are imported for this spelling. No statistical dataset covering this spelling has been imported yet. See data coverage.

04 / Through time

History

Notable bearers

People recorded with this given name in Wikidata. Their names may use a different spelling, or include it as a middle or baptismal name.

Ivan Turgenev
1818–1883
Russian writer (1818–1883)
Wikipedia Wikidata source
Ivan Bunin
1870–1953
Russian writer and poet (1870–1953)
Wikipedia Wikidata source
Ivan Pavlov
1849–1936
Russian physiologist (1849–1936)
Wikipedia Wikidata source
Ivan the Terrible
1530–1584
Tsar of all Russia from 1547 to 1584
Wikipedia Wikidata source
Ivan Krylov
1769–1844
Russian writer (1769–1844)
Wikipedia Wikidata source

A little story to keep

A name worth keeping.

Take the story of Иван with you. Create a personal name passport with its meaning, roots and connections.

06 / Behind the facts

Sources for this page

Review status: Source-reported — no editorial review recorded yet. Last data change 2026-10-20.

Name origins & languageDictionaries, name records and related forms7

Wikidata Q21104340CC0-1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
Wiktionary: ИванCC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
Polish Wiktionary: ИванCC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-14
Greek Wiktionary: ИванCC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
French Wiktionary: ИванCC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-14
Russian Wiktionary: ИванCC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-14
Chinese Wiktionary: ИванCC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-14

Pronunciation recordingsAudio credits and individual recording licences3

Wikimedia Commons: File:Ru-Иван.oggCC-BY-3.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
Wikimedia Commons: File:LL-Q7918 (bul)-Kiril kovachev-Иван.wavCC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
Wikimedia Commons: File:Ru-Иван 2.oggCC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15

Wiktionary text: CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikidata: CC0. Commons recordings retain their individual file licences. Complete attribution is available in each group above and alongside each chart.

Opening name…

A story to pass on.

About Иван

Hebrew origin

Where Иван is used

Across borders

Russia

Popularity over time

History

Notable bearers

Ivan Turgenev

Ivan Bunin

Ivan Pavlov

Ivan the Terrible

Ivan Krylov

Related names

Different forms. Shared stories.

Meet the family

Related names in the catalogue

A name worth keeping.

Sources for this page

A story to pass on.

About Иван

Hebrew origin

Where Иван is used

Across borders

Russia

Popularity over time

History

Notable bearers

Ivan Turgenev

Ivan Bunin

Ivan Pavlov

Ivan the Terrible

Ivan Krylov

Related names

Different forms. Shared stories.

Meet the family

Related names in the catalogue

A name worth keeping.

Sources for this page