Joven
A Spanish given name meaning "young man" or "youth".
Name Census estimates that about 266 living Americans carry the first name Joven. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Joven today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Joven births was 2007 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Joven. 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
266
~ 1 in 1,288,550 Americans
Peak year
2007
16 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,987
Tracked since 1982
Popularity
Joven: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Joven from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 98 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Joven remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Joven 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 Joven during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Jovens live
Origin
Meaning and history of Joven
Joven is a masculine given name that has its origins in the Spanish language. Derived from the Spanish word "joven," which means "young" or "youth," the name was initially used as a descriptive term to refer to young people.
The earliest recorded use of Joven as a personal name dates back to the late 15th century in Spain. During this period, it was not uncommon for parents to name their children after virtues, occupations, or physical attributes, which may explain the initial adoption of Joven as a name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Joven can be found in a 16th-century Spanish manuscript, where it is mentioned as the name of a young nobleman from the region of Aragon. This document provides insight into the early popularity of the name among the Spanish aristocracy.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Joven. One such figure was Joven de Tejada (c. 1530-1598), a Spanish conquistador and explorer who played a role in the conquest of the Philippines. Another notable bearer of the name was Joven Ponce de León (1587-1654), a Spanish military officer and governor of Puerto Rico in the early 17th century.
In the realm of literature, Joven de Vega (1623-1692) was a renowned Spanish playwright and poet of the Golden Age. His works, which include "La vida es sueño" (Life is a Dream), have had a lasting impact on Spanish literature.
Moving into the 19th century, Joven Garcés (1818-1892) was a Spanish military officer and statesman who served as Prime Minister of Spain for a brief period in 1892. His legacy includes his contributions to modernizing the Spanish military and his efforts to maintain stability during a turbulent era.
Another notable figure was Joven Martí (1853-1895), a Cuban philosopher, poet, and revolutionary who played a pivotal role in the struggle for Cuban independence from Spain. His writings and ideals have had a profound influence on Latin American literature and political thought.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals who have carried the name Joven throughout history. While its origins lie in the Spanish language, the name has transcended cultural boundaries and continues to be used in various parts of the world, reflecting its enduring appeal and historical significance.
People
Joven + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Joven as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Joven: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Joven?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 266 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Joven 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 1,288,550 US residents.
Is Joven a common name?
We classify Joven as "Very Rare". It ranks above 77.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 269 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Joven most popular?
The single biggest year for Joven was 2007, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Joven is about 17 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Joven a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Joven 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.