Vlad
A masculine name of Slavic origin meaning "to rule" or "power".
Name Census estimates that about 522 living Americans carry the first name Vlad. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Vlad today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Vlad births was 2004 (26 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Vlad. 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
522
~ 1 in 656,618 Americans
Peak year
2004
26 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,780
Tracked since 1995
Popularity
Vlad: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Vlad from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 212 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Vlad remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Vlad 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 Vlad during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Vlads live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, Washington, Illinois recorded the most babies named Vlad, while New York, Illinois, Washington recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 12 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Vlad
The name Vlad is a masculine given name of Slavic origin, derived from the Slavic word "vladati," meaning "to rule" or "to govern." It has been used primarily in Eastern European countries, particularly in Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Russia.
The earliest recorded use of the name Vlad can be traced back to the 9th century, when it was borne by Vlad I, a ruler of the First Bulgarian Empire (reigned 893-917). In the 14th century, the name gained prominence with Vlad III, also known as Vlad the Impaler, the notorious ruler of Wallachia (modern-day southern Romania) from 1448 to 1476.
Vlad III, known for his brutal methods of punishment, including impalement, has become a significant figure in Romanian folklore and inspired the character of Count Dracula in Bram Stoker's novel "Dracula" (published in 1897). His life and reign have been the subject of numerous historical accounts and literary works.
Another notable bearer of the name Vlad was Vlad Tepes (c. 1431-1476), a Romanian ruler who was also known as Vlad the Impaler. He was the son of Vlad Dracul, a member of the Order of the Dragon, and ruled Wallachia intermittently between 1456 and 1462.
In Russian history, Vlad or Vladimir was a common name among rulers and nobility. One of the most notable figures was Vladimir the Great (c. 958-1015), the Grand Prince of Kyiv, who is credited with converting the Kievan Rus' to Christianity in 988.
The name Vlad has also been borne by other historical figures, such as Vlad Voiculescu (1884-1953), a Romanian poet and playwright, and Vlad Ghika (1873-1954), a Romanian diplomat and politician.
While the name Vlad has been more prevalent in Eastern European cultures, it has also been used in other parts of the world, albeit less frequently. The name's association with historical figures like Vlad the Impaler and its Slavic roots have contributed to its distinct identity and cultural significance.
People
Vlad + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Vlad as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with V
Other first names starting with V with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Vlad: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Vlad?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 522 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Vlad 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 656,618 US residents.
Is Vlad a common name?
We classify Vlad as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 527 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Vlad most popular?
The single biggest year for Vlad was 2004, when 26 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Vlad is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Vlad a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Vlad 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.