Given

♂ Boy

Pronounced GIV-en /ˈɡɪv.ən/Medium

Meaning: Given is the plain English word used directly as a name. As a virtue or word-name it carries the sense of a gift, a child received and cherished, close in spirit to names like Gift and Blessing. It has quiet religious overtones for many families who choose it.Low

In 30 seconds: Given is the English word used as a name, meaning simply a gift. A modern virtue-style name, it has been chosen warmly by a few families (said GIV-en).

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Origin LowEnglish

MeaningGiven is the plain English word used directly as a name. As a virtue or word-name it carries the sense of a gift, a child received and cherished, close in spirit to names like Gift and Blessing. It has quiet religious overtones for many families who choose it.

U.S. rank (2022)#11335 ↘ Falling

2022 U.S. births6 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2018

Total births (all-time)≈ 91

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Given is an English word pressed into service as a first name, part of the wider trend of virtue and word-names that treats a child as something granted or received. Chosen most often for boys, it reads as heartfelt and plain-spoken rather than traditional. Records show it surfacing only lightly, mainly in the modern era.

Given has never been common, reaching only about twenty boys a year at its recent high in the late twenty-tens, though scattered use goes back much further. A boy named Given today is likely still young.

Did you know? Given belongs to the small group of plain-word names, like Blessing and Gift, that parents pick to say a child was longed for and received as a present; its use as a boy's name is recent and modest.

Overall data confidence 30%

References - Given — English word-name; virtue-name sense of a gift

Variations

GivonGivin

Nicknames

GeeGiv

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Given…

Grant— another boy's name carrying the idea of a gift given

Blessing— a like word-name of gratitude

Journey— a modern English word used as a name

Legend— shares the plain-word, meaning-first style

Explore names like Given

By thememodern english word-name virtue

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Given mean?

It is the English word given, used as a name to mean a gift, a cherished child.

How do you pronounce Given?

It is said GIV-en /ˈɡɪv.ən/, just like the everyday word.

Is Given a boy or girl name?

Given is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Given?

It has always been rare in the United States, given to only about twenty boys a year even at its peak in the late twenty-tens.