How popular is the baby name Vanna in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Vanna.

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Popularity of the baby name Vanna


Posts that mention the name Vanna

What gave the baby name Jana a boost in 1979?

The title character from the animated series "Jana of the Jungle" (1978).
Jana from “Jana of the Jungle

The name Jana saw a sudden increase in usage in 1979, according to the U.S. baby name data:

  • 1981: 939 baby girls named Jana [rank: 267th]
  • 1980: 1,046 baby girls named Jana [rank: 247th]
  • 1979: 1,161 baby girls named Jana [rank: 226th]
  • 1978: 959 baby girls named Jana [rank: 248th]
  • 1977: 949 baby girls named Jana [rank: 261st]

Why?

Because of the short-lived cartoon Jana of the Jungle, which consisted of 13 episodes that aired during the last months of 1978 (September to December).

The Tarzan-inspired main character Jana (pronounced JA-nuh; rhymes with Hannah and Vanna) lived in the rain forest of South America along with her animal friends and several other humans. She defended the jungle with the help of her necklace, which doubled as a throwing weapon (similar to a chakram).

Interestingly, the name topped out at 226th (rankings-wise) in both 1961 and 1979 — despite the fact that about 300 fewer babies were named Jana in 1979 than in 1961.

Sources: Jana of the Jungle – Wikipedia, SSA

Baby names with VAN: Vance, Giovanna, Donovan

van

Looking for baby names that contain the word VAN?

If so, you’re in luck!

Because below you’ll find a long list of names that contain the letter sequence “v-a-n.” Most of these names come directly from the U.S. SSA’s baby name data.

  • Aadhavan
  • Aivan
  • Alvan
  • Alvana
  • Alvania
  • Antvan
  • Avan
  • Avana, Avanna, Avannah
  • Avanel, Avanell, Avanelle
  • Avangelia
  • Avangelina
  • Avani
  • Avanish, Avaneesh
  • Avanta
  • Avante, Avantae
  • Avant
  • Avanti
  • Avantika, Avanthika
  • Avanya
  • Ayvani
  • Bavan
  • Bevan
  • Bhavana
  • Bhuvan
  • Bivan
  • Brevan
  • Calvan
  • Cavan
  • Cavanaugh
  • Cavani
  • Cervantes
  • Covan
  • Danovan
  • Davan
  • Davana, Davanna
  • Davante, Davantay
  • Delavan
  • Delvan
  • Delvante
  • Devan, Devann
  • Devana, Devanna
  • Devane
  • Devanna
  • Devanand
  • Devance
  • Devane
  • Devang
  • Devanee, Devaney, Devani, Devanie, Devany, Devanni
  • Devansh
  • Devanshi
  • Devante, Devantae
  • Devanti
  • Dhvani
  • Dhruvan
  • Dilovan
  • Dilvan
  • Diovanni
  • Divante
  • Donovan, Donavan, Donevan, Donivan, Donnavan, Donnivan, Donnovan, Donovann
  • Donvan
  • Drevan
  • Duvan
  • Eavan
  • Eivan
  • Elvan
  • Erican
  • Ervan
  • Estevan
  • Evan, Evann, Evanne
  • Evana, Evanna
  • Evander
  • Evanee, Evannie
  • Evanell, Evanelle
  • Evangel
  • Evangela
  • Evangelia
  • Evangelina, Evangelena, Evanjelina
  • Evangeline, Evangelyne
  • Evangelista
  • Evangelos
  • Evangely
  • Evangelynn, Evangelyn, Evangelin
  • Evani, Evanie, Evanni, Evannie
  • Evannah
  • Evans
  • Evanshi
  • Evanston
  • Evanthe
  • Evanthia
  • Evany, Evanny
  • Gavan
  • Garvan
  • Geovana, Geovanna
  • Geovani, Geovanie, Geovany, Geovanni, Geovannie, Geovanny
  • Gevan
  • Giavanna, Giavana
  • Giavanni
  • Giovan, Giovann
  • Giovanna, Giovana
  • Giovanni, Giovani, Giovany, Giovannie, Giovanny
  • Giovannina
  • Giovannino
  • Govan
  • Gurvansh
  • Havan
  • Havana, Havanna, Havannah
  • Hovannes, Hovanes
  • Iovanna
  • Irvan
  • Istvan
  • Ivana, Ivanna, Ivannah
  • Ivanell, Ivanelle
  • Ivanhoe
  • Ivani, Ivany
  • Ivania, Ivannia
  • Ivaniel
  • Ivanka
  • Ivan, Ivann
  • Ivano
  • Ivansh
  • Ivanshika
  • Javan
  • Javana, Javanna
  • Javani
  • Javant
  • Javantay, Javante
  • Jeevan
  • Jeovanna
  • Jeovani, Jeovany, Jeovanni
  • Jiovana, Jiovanna
  • Jiovani, Jiovanni
  • Jivan
  • Johnavan, Jonovan, Jonavan
  • Jovan, Jovann
  • Jovana, Jovanna
  • Jovane, Jovanne
  • Jovanda
  • Jovania
  • Jovanni, Jovani, Jovannie, Jovanny, Jovanie, Jovany
  • Jovanka
  • Jovante, Jovantae
  • Kavan
  • Kavanaugh
  • Kavani
  • Kavante
  • Kayvan
  • Keevan, Keivan, Keyvan
  • Kelvan
  • Ketevan
  • Kevan
  • Kevana, Kevanna
  • Kevante
  • Kovan
  • Kyvan
  • Lavan
  • Lavana, Lavanna
  • Lavance
  • Lavancha
  • Lavanda
  • Lavander
  • Lavania, Lavanya
  • Leevan
  • Leovani, Leovanni
  • Levan
  • Levana
  • Levance
  • Levander
  • Levane
  • Levant
  • Livan
  • Livana, Livanna
  • Lovanda
  • Lovann
  • Lovanna
  • Melvan
  • Merivan
  • Milovan
  • Navana
  • Navani, Navany
  • Neevan
  • Nevan
  • Nirvan
  • Nirvana
  • Norvan
  • Novani
  • Olivander, Ollivander
  • Orvan
  • Parvaneh
  • Pavan
  • Pavani
  • Radovan
  • Raevan
  • Ravan
  • Rayvan
  • Revan
  • Revanth
  • Rivan
  • Rizvan
  • Rovan
  • Rovanio
  • Sarvani
  • Savan
  • Savanaha, Savannaha
  • Savanha
  • Savannah, Savanna, Savanah, Savana, Sahvannah, Sahvanna, Sahvana
  • Sevannah, Sevanna, Sevana, Cevanna
  • Savante
  • Servando, Cervando
  • Sevan
  • Sharvani
  • Shavanda
  • Shavana, Shavanna, Shavannah
  • Shavante
  • Shivan
  • Shivang
  • Shivangi
  • Shivani
  • Shivank
  • Shivansh
  • Shivanya
  • Shovan
  • Shravan
  • Silvan, Sylvan
  • Silvana, Sylvana, Silvanna, Sylvanna
  • Silvano
  • Silvanus, Sylvanus
  • Sivan
  • Sivana
  • Sivani
  • Sivansh
  • Sovann
  • Sovanna
  • Sravan
  • Stevan
  • Stevana, Stevanna
  • Stevanie
  • Sullivan
  • Suvanna
  • Svana
  • Svanik
  • Sylvania
  • Syvanna, Syvannah
  • Tavan
  • Tavania
  • Tavanna
  • Tavante
  • Tevan
  • Tovan
  • Travante
  • Travanti
  • Trevan
  • Trevante
  • Treyvan
  • Tyvan
  • Van, Vann
  • Vana, Vanna, Vannah
  • Vanae
  • Vanadey
  • Vanassa
  • Vanaya
  • Vanbawi
  • Vanburen
  • Vance
  • Vancil
  • Vanda
  • Vandalia
  • Vandawt
  • Vandela, Vandella
  • Vandelia
  • Vandell
  • Vandan
  • Vandana
  • Vanden
  • Vander
  • Vanderbilt
  • Vanderlei
  • Vandetta
  • Vandi, Vandy
  • Vandiver
  • Vandon
  • Vandora
  • Vandrea
  • Vane
  • Vanecia
  • Vaneda
  • Vaneeza
  • Vaneka
  • Vanella
  • Vanelope, Vanellope
  • Vanely, Vanelly
  • Vanesha
  • Vaneshia
  • Vanesia, Vanessia
  • Vaness, Vanesse
  • Vanessa, Vanesa, Vannesa, Vannessa, Vanessah
  • Vanester
  • Vaneta, Vanetta, Vannetta
  • Vanette, Vannette
  • Vaneza, Vanezza
  • Vangela
  • Vangie
  • Vani, Vanie, Vannie, Vanny
  • Vania, Vaniah, Vaniya, Vaniyah, Vannia
  • Vanice, Vanis, Vanise
  • Vanicia
  • Vanika
  • Vanilla
  • Vanille
  • Vanisa, Vanissa
  • Vanisha
  • Vanita
  • Vanity, Vanitie
  • Vang
  • Vannak
  • Vannara
  • Vannary
  • Vanner
  • Vanni
  • Vannida
  • Vanora
  • Vansh
  • Vanshika
  • Vanshon
  • Vanson
  • Vantasia
  • Vanteen
  • Vantha
  • Vantrell
  • Vantrice
  • Vanus
  • Vanya, Vannya
  • Vivan
  • Vivana
  • Yavanna
  • Yosvani
  • Yovan
  • Yovani, Yovany, Yovanny
  • Yovana, Yovanna
  • Yuvan
  • Yuvansh
  • Yvan
  • Yvana, Yvanna
  • Zaavan
  • Zavanah, Zavanna, Zavannah
  • Zevan

Some of the above are non-traditional spellings of more common names, such as Calvin, Kevin, Melvin, and Steven.

Which VAN name do you like most? Let me know in the comments!

P.S. Check out my list of names with CAR for more baby names featuring an automobile-themed letter sequence. :)

Source: SSA

Image: Adapted from Dodge A100 van in orange – right side by Steve Morgan under CC BY-SA 3.0.

What gave the baby name Vanna a boost in the 1980s?

Game show hostess Vanna White on "Wheel of Fortune" (January, 1986).
Vanna White on “Wheel of Fortune

The baby name Vanna only saw a smattering of usage every year until the early 1980s, when it suddenly became trendy:

  • 1988: 58 baby girls named Vanna
  • 1987: 87 baby girls named Vanna
  • 1986: 111 baby girls named Vanna [peak]
  • 1985: 71 baby girls named Vanna
  • 1984: 39 baby girls named Vanna
  • 1983: 21 baby girls named Vanna
  • 1982: 7 baby girls named Vanna
  • 1981: 8 baby girls named Vanna
Graph of the usage of the baby name Vanna in the U.S. since 1880
Usage of the baby name Vanna

The like-sounding names Savannah and Savanna also got a boost during that time period, and the spelling variant Vannah debuted the year Vanna hit peak usage.

What spurred all this interest in the name Vanna?

If you owned a TV set during the ’80s, you already know the answer: Vanna White, hostess of the popular game show Wheel of Fortune.

Vanna White was chosen out of a field of 200 hopefuls to join host Pat Sajak on the show in December of 1982. (The original hostess, Susan Stafford, quit in October.)

Her job essentially consisted of walking in front of a puzzle board — sometimes right to left, sometimes left to right — and turning tiles to reveal letters as contestants made their guesses. (Today she still walks back and forth, but the puzzle board letters are touch-activated.)

Wheel of Fortune became the highest-rated syndicated show on television in the mid-1980s. As a result, Vanna White became “TV’s most improbable cult heroine.” She became so popular, in fact, that the press dubbed the phenomenon Vanna-mania.

(Several years after peak Vanna-mania, one reporter noted that it “was one of the oddest phenomenons of our time, bestowing superstar status on a woman whose only obvious skill was turning letters on cue.”)

By early 1986, Vanna White knew she had multiple namesakes:

“I’ve gotten tons of fan mail,” she marvels. “Love letters, marriage proposals, children being named after me, which is quite an honor. Every year on Sept. 4, I get a picture of this adorable little Vanna.”

So, where did the original Vanna get her unusual first name?

[T]he name Vanna came from my grandmother’s next-door neighbor. Her name was Vana Woorell … and she spelled her name with one n … my mother liked the name so much, she said, Well, I’m gonna name my daughter Vanna with two n‘s.

What are your thoughts on the name Vanna? Would you use it?

Sources:

More names from “Star Trek”

Sybo, from a 1967 episode

Yesterday, we looked at three Star Trek characters that influenced U.S. baby names back in the late 1960s.

But those three were just a handful of the many interestingly-named characters from the original Star Trek. Here are some of the others.

For those with names that have appeared in the SSA data before, I’ve included links to the graphs.

Female charactersMale characters
Areel, Aurelan*, Daras, Deela, Drea, Droxine, Elaan, Eleen, Gem, Losira, Luma, Miramanee, Miri, Natira, Nona, Odona, Rayna, Sayana, Sirah, Sybo, Tamoon, Tamula, Thalassa, T’Pau, T’Pring, Tula, Vanna, ZarabethAbrom, Akaar, Akuta, Anka, Apella, Ayelborne, Balok, Bela, Bele, Bilar, Claymare, Cloud, Decius, Dionyd, Duur, Egen, Ekor, Eraclitus, Goro, Hacom, Hanar, Hengist, Henoch, Jahn, Jaris, Kahless, Kalo, Kang, Kartan, Keel, Khan, Kloog, Korax, Korob, Krako, Kras, Krell, Krodak, Kryton, Lal, Landru, Lokai, Maab, Makora, Marplon, Melakon, Merik, Midro, Mirt, Morla, Nilz, Parmen, Plasus, Rael, Reger, Rojan, Salish, Sargon, Shras, Stonn, Tamar, Tark, Tepo, Thann, Thelev, Tomar, Tongo, Trefayne, Trelane, Tyree, Wu, Yutan, Zabo, Zefram

*Aurelan is from Aurelan Kirk, Captain Kirk’s sister-in-law.

Do you like any of the names above? Are any usable, in your opinion?

Source: Star Trek (1966-1969) – IMDb

P.S. The word “Trek” itself started appearing in the data in the early 1970s, also likely due to the show.