How popular is the baby name Bavan 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 Bavan.

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Popularity of the baby name Bavan


Posts that mention the name Bavan

Baby name story: Helvetia

The Boswell sisters: Martha, Connie, and Vet (circa 1930)
Martha, Connie, and Vet Boswell

The Boswell Sisters were a trio of siblings from New Orleans who performed as a jazz vocal group from the mid-1920s to the mid-1930s.

Martha, Constance (“Connie”), and Helvetia (“Vet”) Boswell were famous for their “intimate, close harmonies.” Their songs also tended to feature changes in both key and tempo.

Here’s what they sounded like:

(The song “It’s the Girl,” released in 1931, was added to the U.S. National Recording Registry in 2010.)

Helvetia’s first name — unlike her sisters’ first names — is quite unusual. Where did it come from?

She was named after the Helvetia Milk Condensing Company, because that’s the brand of milk she was bottle-fed as an infant.

The Helvetia Milk Condensing Company was founded in Illinois in 1885 by Swiss immigrant John B. Meÿenberg. “Helvetia” was what the ancient Romans called the region now known as Switzerland (because, at that time, a Celtic people known as the Helvetii resided there). In English, the word Helvetia is typically pronounced hel-VEE-shuh.

All three Boswell sisters got married in the mid-1930s. At that point, Martha and Vet decided to retire and start families, but Connie — who had been wheelchair-bound since childhood, due to a bout of polio — decided to continue performing.

Intriguingly, Connie altered the spelling of her name to “Connee” partway through her moderately successful solo career. Here’s why:

The onset of WW II meant touring and signing autographs for troops. The loss of dexterity from the lingering affect of polio made it difficult to dot the “i” in her name, making Connee a more practical alternative; by 1942, she legally changed the spelling.

Which of the sisters’ names do you like best – Martha, Constance, or Helvetia?

P.S. Another famous jazz vocal group was Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, which later became Lambert, Hendricks & Bavan.

Sources:

Image: Photo of the Boswell Sisters in What’s on The Air (Jan. 1931, page 25)

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.

Interesting one-hit wonder names in the U.S. baby name data

single flower

They came, they went, and they never came back!

These baby names are one-hit wonders in the U.S. baby name data. That is, they’ve only popped up once, ever, in the entire dataset of U.S. baby names (which accounts for all names given to at least 5 U.S. babies per year since 1880).

There are thousands of one-hit wonders in the dataset, but the names below have interesting stories behind their single appearance, so these are the one-hits I’m writing specific posts about. Just click on a name to read more.

2020s

2010s

2000s

1990s

1980s

1970s

1960s

1950s

1940s

1930s

1920s

1910s

1900s

  • (none yet)

1890s

As I discover (and write about) more one-hit wonders in the data, I’ll add the names/links to this page. In the meanwhile, do you have any favorite one-hit wonder baby names?

Image: Adapted from Solitary Poppy by Andy Beecroft under CC BY-SA 2.0.

[Latest update: Apr. 2024]

Where did the baby name Bavan come from in 1964?

Jazz singer Yolande Bavan
Yolande Bavan

The interesting name Bavan was a one-hit wonder in the baby name data in the mid-1960s:

  • 1966: unlisted
  • 1965: unlisted
  • 1964: 5 baby girls named Bavan [debut]
  • 1963: unlisted
  • 1962: unlisted

Where did it come from?

Jazz singer Yolande Bavan.

She was born Yolande Woolf in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in 1942. She moved to London in the early ’60s to launch a career in entertainment. She was primarily acting in stage roles when a friend (Indian film director Waris Hussein) recommended she start going by “Yolande Bavan.”

Not long after that, she was asked to replace “Ross” in the famous jazz vocal group Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. (Annie Ross was leaving due to health issues.) Yolande joined in mid-1962, and thereafter the trio was known as Lambert, Hendricks & Bavan.

Lambert, Hendricks & Bavan
Lambert, Hendricks & Bavan

The trio performed at major jazz festivals, put out three albums, and made various TV appearances* together before disbanding in mid-1964.

What are your thoughts on the baby name Bavan? (Do you like it more or less than, say, the Irish name Bevin?)

*The trio performed on a late 1962 episode of To Tell the Truth — right after a segment in which Yolande was a contestant.

Sources: Singing the truth – The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka), Yolande Bavan pines for home – The Island (Sri Lanka), Lambert, Hendricks & Bavan (February 22, 1963) – Jazz Casual [vid]