Ivan (Cyrillic: Иван / Іван) is a Slavic male given name, connected with the variant of the Greek name Iōánnēs (English: John) from Hebrew יוֹחָנָן Yôḥānnān meaning 'God is gracious'. It is associated worldwide with Slavic countries. The earliest person known to bear the name was the Bulgarian Saint Ivan of Rila.
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Ivan,
Иван, or
Іван in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
It is very popular in Russia, Ukraine, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Belarus, North Macedonia, and Montenegro and has also become more popular in Romance-speaking countries since the 20th century.
Ivan is the common Slavic Latin spelling, while Cyrillic spelling is two-fold: in Bulgarian, Russian, Macedonian, Serbian and Montenegrin it is Иван, while in Belarusian and Ukrainian it is Іван. The Old Church Slavonic (or Old Cyrillic) spelling is Їѡан.
It is the Slavic relative of the Latin name Johannes, corresponding to English John.[1] This Slavic version of the name originates from New Testament Greek Ἰωάννης (Iōánnēs) rather than from the Latin Io(h)annes. The Greek name is in turn derived from Hebrew יוֹחָנָן (Yôḥānān), meaning "YHWH (God) is gracious". The name is ultimately derived from the Biblical Hebrew name יוחנן (pronounced [joχanan]), short for יהוחנן (pronounced [jehoχanan]), meaning "God was merciful". Common patronymics derived from the name are Ivanović (Serbian and Croatian), Ivanov (Russian and Bulgarian), and Ivanovich (Russian, used as middle name), corresponding to "Ivan's son".
The name is common among Slovenes, Croats, Russians, Ukrainians, Bulgarians, Belarusians, Macedonians, Serbs, Bosnians, Montenegrins, and to a smaller extent Czechs[2][3] and Slovaks.
Ivan is the most common male name in Bulgaria (as of 2013)[4] and Croatia (as of 2013).[5] In Serbia, it was the 9th most common male name in the period of 1971–1980; 6th in 1981–1990; 9th in 1991–2000.[6] It is also the 6th most common name in Slovenia.[7]
In Croatia, with over thirty thousand namesakes, the name Ivan was the most popular between 1930 and 1940, and waned in popularity from 2003 to 2013.[8] The name Ivan was the most common masculine given name until 1959, and between 1980 and 1999.[9]
Since the 20th century, it is becoming more popular in the Romance-speaking world; Italian (both the original form and the italianized version, Ivano), Spanish (as Iván), and Portuguese (sometimes Ivã).
Ivan (pl. die Ivans) was also occasionally used by various parties during World War II as a general name for the Soviets.[10]
Its female forms are Ivana (West and South Slavic) and Ivanna (East Slavic), while Ivanka and Iva are diminutives by origin. Slavic male diminutives (including historical) are Vanya or Vanja, Ivaniš, Ivanko, Ivanča, Ivanče, etc. A shorter form of the name is Ivo.
Mononymously known as
- Ivan (footballer, born 1984), Brazilian football player
- Ivan (footballer, born 1997), Brazilian football player
- Ivan (model) (Liera Manuel Ivan, born 1984), Japanese fashion model and musician
- Iván (singer) (Juan Carlos Ramos Vaquero, born 1959 or 1962), Spanish singer
- Ivan (Belarusian-Russian singer) (Alexander Ivanov), Belarusian-Russian singer
- Ivan, German codename of Serbian spy Duško Popov
Royalty
- Ivan Vladislav, Bulgarian emperor (1015–1018)
- Ivan Asen I, Bulgarian emperor (1189–1196)
- Kaloyan, Bulgarian emperor (1197–1207)
- Ivan Asen II, Bulgarian emperor (1218–1241)
- Ivan II, Bulgarian emperor (1298-1299)
- Ivan Stephen, Bulgarian emperor (1330–1331)
- Ivan Alexander, Bulgarian emperor (1331–1371)
- Ivan Shishman, Bulgarian emperor in Tarnovo (1371–1395)
- Ivan Stratsimir, Bulgarian emperor in Vidin (1356–1396)
- Ivan I, "The Moneybag", Grand Duke of Moscow (1325–1340)
- Ivan II, "The Fair", Grand Duke of Moscow (1353–1359)
- Ivan III, "The Great", Grand Prince of Moscow (1462–1505)
- Ivan IV, "The Terrible", Russian emperor (1547–1584)
- Ivan V, Russian emperor (1682–1696)
- Ivan VI, Russian emperor (1740–1741)
Nobility
- Ivanko, a Bulgarian boyar who killed Tsar Ivan Asen I in 1196
- John Horvat (Ivan Horvat, d. 1394), Hungarian-Croatian nobleman, Ban of Macsó (1376–1381, and 1385–1386)
- John of Palisna (Ivan od Paližne, d. 1391), Hungarian-Croatian nobleman, Ban of Croatia (1385–1386)
- Ivanko, a Bulgarian despot of the Despotate of Dobruja, ruled 1385-1399
- Ivan Bohun (died 1664), Cossack colonel
- Ivan Bot, Hungarian-Croatian nobleman, Ban of Croatia (1493)
- Ivan Mazepa, Hetman of Zaporizhian Host
- Ivan Mažuranić, Austro-Hungarian nobleman, Ban of Croatia (1873–1880), and poet
- Ivan Pidkova (died 1578), Cossack leader
- Ivan Sirko (c. 1610–1680), Cossack military leader
- Ivan Sulyma, Cossack leader
Clergy
- Ivan Rilski (John of Rila), Bulgarian Orthodox hermit and patron saint (876 - 946)
Politics
- Ivan Ahčin (1897–1960), Slovene sociologist, publicist, journalist, author, and politician
- Ivan Benediktov (1902–1983), Soviet politician
- Iván Duque Márquez (born 1976), President of Colombia
- Ivan Evstratiev Geshov (1849 - 1924), 18th Prime Minister of Bulgaria
- Ivan Fadeev (1906–1976), Soviet economist and politician
- Ivan Knotek (1936–2020), Slovak politician
- Ivan Korčok (born 1964), Slovak politician
- Ivan Kostov (born 1949), 47th Prime Minister of Bulgaria
- Ivan Štefunko (born 1977), Slovak politician
- Ivan Varga (1953–2021), Slovak politician
- Ivan Vasyunyk (born 1959), Ukrainian politician
- Ivan Warner (1919–1994), New York politician and judge
Sports
- Ivan Almeida (born 1989), Cape Verdean basketball player
- Ivan Aska (born 1990), American basketball player in the Israeli National League
- Iván Campo (born 1974), Spanish footballer
- Ivan Cleary (born 1971), Australian Rugby League player and coach
- Iván Córdoba (born 1976), Colombian footballer
- Iván Fandiño (1980–2017), Spanish bullfighter
- Ivan Fedotov (born 1996), Russian ice hockey goaltender
- Iván González Ferreira (born 1987), Paraguayan footballer
- Iván Helguera (born 1975), Spanish footballer
- Iván Herrera (born 2000), Panamanian baseball player
- Iván Hurtado (born 1974), Ecuadorian footballer
- Ivan Ivanov, Bulgarian footballer
- Ivan Lee (born 1981), Olympic saber fencer
- Ivan Leko (born 1978), Croatian soccer player and coach
- Ivan Lendl (born 1960), Czech-American tennis player
- Ivan Leshinsky (born 1947), American-Israeli basketball player
- Ivan Ljubičić (born 1979), Croatian tennis player
- Ivan Majeský (born 1976), Slovak ice hockey defenseman
- Iban Mayo (born 1977), Spanish cyclist
- Ivan Miljković (born 1979), Serbian volleyball player
- Ivan Osiier (1888–1965), Danish épée, foil, and sabre fencer, 25x Danish champion
- Ivan Pace Jr. (born 2000), American football player
- Ivan Perišić (born 1989), Croatian footballer
- Ivan Pravilov (1963–2012), Ukrainian ice hockey coach charged with child molestation
- Ivan Rakitić (born 1988), Croatian football player
- Iván Rodríguez (born 1971), Puerto Rican baseball player
- Ivan Rudež (born 1979), Croatian basketball coach
- Ivan Runje (born 1990), Croatian footballer
- Ivan Sproule (born 1981), Northern Irish footballer
- Ivan Toney (born 1996), English footballer
- Ivan Wilfred Johnson (1898–1979), Canadian hockey player
- Iván Zamorano (born 1967), Chilean footballer
- Iván Zarandona (born 1980), Equatoguinean footballer
- Ivan Zaytsev (disambiguation), several sportsmen
- Ivan Zemlyanskii (born 2010), Russian chess grandmaster
Arts
- Ivan Barias, Dominican-American music producer and songwriter
- Ivan Brunetti (born 1967), cartoonist
- Ivan Bunin (1870–1953), Russian writer and Nobel laureate in literature
- Ivan Della Mea (1940–2009), Italian singer-songwriter
- Ivan Dixon (1931–2008), American actor, director and producer
- Ivan Dorn (born 1988), Ukrainian singer and actor
- Ivan Doroschuk (born 1957), lead vocalist for Men Without Hats
- Ivan Dorschner (born 1990), Filipino-American actor, host and model
- Ivan Franko (1856–1916), Ukrainian writer
- Ivan (gorilla), painter
- Ivan Graziani (1945–1997), Italian singer-songwriter
- Ivan Jones, British Writer and poet
- Ivan Král (1948–2020), Czech-American musician
- Ivan Meštrović (1883–1962), Croatian sculptor and architect
- Van Morrison (George Ivan Morrison, born 1945), Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician
- Ivan Moody (born 1980), singer of heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch
- Ivan Ozhogin (born 1978), Russian singer and actor
- Ivan Reitman (1946–2022), Czechoslovak-born Canadian film and television director, producer and screenwriter
- Ivan Turgenev (1818–1893), Russian novelist
- Ivan Urgant (born 1978), Russian television personality, presenter, actor and musician
- Ivan Vazov (1850–1921), Bulgarian poet, novelist and playwright, often referred to as "the Patriarch of Bulgarian literature"
- Ivan Shishmanov (1862–1928), Bulgarian writer, ethnographer, politician and diplomat
Science, academia, business and other
- Ivan Aboimov (1936–2022), Russian diplomat and ambassador
- Ivan Agayants (1911–1968), Soviet intelligence officer of Armenian origin
- Ivan Aksakov (1823–1886), Russian littérateur and notable Slavophile
- Ivan Boesky (born 1937), Wall Street trader who inspired the character of Gordon Gekko in the film Wall Street.
- Ivan Chermayeff, graphic designer
- Ivan Corea, Sri Lankan Anglican priest
- Ivan Gazidis (born 1964), chief executive of the AC Milan
- Ivan Glasenberg (born 1957), CEO of Glencore, director of Xstrata and Minara Resources
- Ivan Greenberg (1896–1966), English journalist
- Ivan Hričovský (1932–2024), Slovak celebrity gardener
- Ivan Ilyin (1883–1954), Russian religious and political philosopher
- Ivan Massow (born 1967), chairman of the Institute of Contemporary Arts
- Ivan Menezes (1959–2023), CEO of Diageo, non-executive director at Coach, Inc.
- Ivan Milat, Croatian Australian serial killer famous for the backpacker killings
- Ivan Vsevolodovich Meshcherskiy (1859–1935), Russian mathematician
- Ivan J. Parron, entertainment attorney and entrepreneur
- Ivan Pavlov (1849–1946), Russian physiologist and Nobel laureate in Medicine & Physiology
- Ivan Rogers (born 1960), British civil servant, former Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the European Union
- Ivan Samoylovych (died 1690), Hetman of Left-bank Ukraine
- Ivan Seidenberg (born 1946), chairman & CEO at Verizon Communications
- Ivan Selin (born 1937), former chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Fulbright scholar
- Ivan Semwanga, Ugandan-born South African philanthropist
- Ivan Šramko, (born 1957), Governor of the National Bank of Slovakia (2005–2010)
- Ivan Wettengel (1876–1935), Naval Governor of Guam
Other notable people with the given name "Ivan"
- Ivan Braginsky, the given name for the national personification of Russia from the anime series Hetalia: Axis Powers
- Ivan, a secondary character of Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends
- Ivan the Fool, a character of the eponymous story
- Ivan Vanko, an antagonist from the Marvel Comics franchise The Invincible Iron Man who appears as the primary antagonist in the sequel to the film adaptation
- Ivan Denisovich Shukhov, a character of One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
- Ivan, a Nintendo character in the Golden Sun series
- Ivan, a Nintendo character in Devil's Third and Pokémon series
- Ivan Vassilevich Lomov, a character in Anton Chekhov's one-act play, A Marriage Proposal
- Ivan Raidenovich Raikov, a character in video game Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
- Ivan Ilych, the title character of Leo Tolstoy's book, The Death of Ivan Ilyich
- Ivan Karamazov, brother of protagonist Alyosha Karamazov, in Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel, The Brothers Karamazov
- Ivan, in the 2006 film Curious George
- Ivan Ivanovitch, a Russian painter who appears in The Smurfs. He has a magic chicken named Kiev, in which lays painted eggs.
- Ivan Veen, in Vladimir Nabokov's Ada or Ardor
- Ivan Drago, in Rocky IV
- Ivan Nikolayevich Ponyryov (Bezdomny), in Mikhail Bulgakov's novel, The Master and Margarita
- Ivan Shawbly, from the television series Mona the Vampire
- Ivan Ooze, the villain in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie
- Sir Ivan of Zandar, the Gold Ranger in Power Rangers Dino Charge and Power Rangers Dino Super Charge
- Ivanhoe, an 1820 novel by Sir Walter Scott
- Ivan, a Western lowland Gorilla, the star and basis of the 2012 K.A. Applegate novel The One and Only Ivan and its film adaptation.
- Ivan Bruel, in the animated series Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir
