Boy name
Ivan name meaning
“God is gracious”
Ivan means God is gracious. A Slavic form belonging to the same name family as John and Yuhanna, it ultimately derives from Hebrew Yohanan. Used as a boy's name in Türkiye, it has a literary association with Ivan Karamazov, a character in Dostoevsky's novel The Brothers Karamazov.
- Gender
- ♂ Boy
- Origin
- European languages
- Syllables
- 2
- Popularity
- #1,736
What does Ivan mean?
God is gracious
In Turkish: Tanrı lütufkârdır
Ivan connects Slavic naming traditions with the broader John or Yuhanna family. Historical and literary associations include Ivan IV of Russia and Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilyich. The dotless initial vowel supplied in the Turkish record can be understood as a local spelling of this international name.
The ending “-an” is a common final sound rather than a suffix with one shared meaning here. Aslan, Hasan and Yaman have different origins and structures despite their matching endings. More boy names ending in -an →
Origin of the name Ivan
Ivan is a Slavic form belonging to the Yuhanna/John name family. Its ultimate source is Hebrew Yoḥanan, meaning 'God is gracious'; Turkish renderings vary in their treatment of the initial vowel.
| Linguistic origin | European languages, Hebrew |
|---|---|
| Is Ivan in the Quran? | No |
| Starts with | I |
How to pronounce Ivan
| Syllables | 2 · 4 letters · 4-letter boy names |
|---|---|
| IPA | /ɯvan/ |
Is Ivan a boy’s name?
Yes, Ivan is used mostly as a boy’s name. See all boy names.
Ivan does not appear in TÜİK’s top-30 lists (Türkiye and provinces, up to 2025). In our sample of notable people (Wikidata), 2 people bear it; this is not a national figure.
Spellings and similar names
Spellings covered by this page: İvan
Names that sound like Ivan
Names with related meanings
- Yusuf♂May God add
- İsmail♂God has heard
- Abdullah♂Servant of God
- Abdulkadir♂Servant of the All-Powerful
- Abdurrahman♂Servant of the Most Merciful
- Samet♂Self-sufficient
- İlyas♂My God is Yahweh
- Abdülhamid♂Servant of God, the Praiseworthy
- Nurullah♂God's light
- Beytullah♂The House of God
- Emrullah♂God's command or decree
- Mikail♂Who is like God?
Famous people named Ivan
- İvan Küçükov · b. 1946
FAQ about the name Ivan
What is the meaning of Ivan?
Ivan means “God is gracious”. Ivan is a Slavic form belonging to the Yuhanna/John name family. Its ultimate source is Hebrew Yoḥanan, meaning 'God is gracious'; Turkish renderings vary in their treatment of the initial vowel.
Is Ivan a boy’s name?
Yes, Ivan is used mostly as a boy’s name.
Is Ivan in the Quran?
No. Neither the name Ivan nor its source word occurs in the Quran.
What is the origin of the name Ivan?
Ivan is of European languages and Hebrew origin.
How many syllables does Ivan have?
Ivan has 2 syllables and 4 letters.
How popular is the name Ivan?
Ivan does not appear in TÜİK’s top-30 lists (Türkiye and provinces, up to 2025). In our sample of notable people (Wikidata), 2 people bear it; this is not a national figure.
What are other spellings of Ivan?
Other spellings: İvan.
Famous people named Ivan?
Notable people named Ivan include İvan Küçükov.
Sources and method
Meanings and origins draw on language sources and name dictionaries; popularity figures come from TÜİK’s address-based population register, and notable people from Wikidata.
Entry ID: nm11229 · Updated 2026-10-24 · How we research names · Report a mistake