Ivan

God is gracious; more literally, Yahweh is gracious.

Ivan is a masculine name with Slavic roots and the inherited Hebrew meaning “God is gracious.” Its connection with John is one of shared ancestry: the two names took different linguistic paths. Ivan is used in several Slavic languages, including Russian, Croatian and Slovak, so calling it exclusively Russian would miss part of its story. The four-letter spelling leaves room for more than one sound. English EYE-vən stresses the opening, while Russian Иван is approximately ee-VAHN, with the emphasis at the end. Croatian and Slovak forms also put the stress first, but do not use the English opening vowel. For a family using more than one language, the intended pronunciation deserves as much thought as the spelling. Ivan has a spare, slightly formal appeal: the v gives the middle a distinct edge, and the final n closes it neatly. It may suit someone who likes the weight of an established name without a long or elaborate form.

Etymology: A Slavic form in the John family, through Church Slavic and Greek Ioannes, ultimately from Hebrew Yohanan.