Giovan
A masculine Italian name derived from the biblical name Giovanni, meaning "God is gracious".
Name Census estimates that about 354 living Americans carry the first name Giovan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Giovan today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Giovan births was 1999 (40 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Giovan. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
354
~ 1 in 968,233 Americans
Peak year
1999
40 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,203
Tracked since 1986
Popularity
Giovan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Giovan from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 122 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1990s peak, Giovan remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Giovan by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Giovan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Giovans live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, Florida, Texas recorded the most babies named Giovan, while New York, Texas, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 8 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Giovan
The name Giovan is derived from the Italian form of the name Giovanni, which in turn comes from the Hebrew name Yohanan, meaning "Yahweh is gracious." The name has its roots in ancient times, with references in the Bible to John the Baptist and John the Apostle.
The name Giovan gained popularity during the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods in Italy, particularly in the regions of Tuscany and Lombardy. It was commonly used among the wealthy and noble families of the time, with many notable figures bearing the name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Giovan can be found in the writings of the famous Italian poet Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), who wrote about a character named Giovan del Virgilio in his work "The Divine Comedy."
Another notable Giovan from history was Giovan Battista Tiepolo (1696-1770), a celebrated Venetian painter and printmaker known for his grand frescoes and altarpieces. His works adorned many churches and palaces across Europe.
In the realm of music, Giovan Battista Pergolesi (1710-1736) was an Italian composer known for his influential works, including the opera "La Serva Padrona" and the "Stabat Mater."
The name also appears in the world of literature, with Giovan Battista Vico (1668-1744), an Italian philosopher and historian who developed the concept of the cyclical nature of history and the idea of "cultural epochs."
Another notable figure was Giovan Battista Belzoni (1778-1823), an Italian explorer and pioneer in the field of Egyptology, who was instrumental in the early study and excavation of ancient Egyptian monuments and artifacts.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals who have borne the name Giovan throughout history, reflecting its rich cultural heritage and significance in Italian and European history.
People
Giovan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Giovan as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Giovan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Giovan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 354 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Giovan going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 968,233 US residents.
Is Giovan a common name?
We classify Giovan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 359 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Giovan most popular?
The single biggest year for Giovan was 1999, when 40 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Giovan is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Giovan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Giovan in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.