Fun Facts About the Name Bavan

  • 5 babies named Bavan: U.S. records list 5 babies given the name Bavan from 1880 through 2025.

What Does the Name Bavan Mean?

Bavan is a masculine name used mainly by Tamil-speaking Hindus in southern India and Sri Lanka. It is commonly glossed as "Lord Shiva," and it is best understood as a Tamil form of the Sanskrit epithet Bhava, meaning "existence" or "being," used for Shiva. The Tamil masculine suffix -aṉ gives the personal form Bhavaṉ, which English writes as Bavan.

The similar Sanskrit word bhavana means "dwelling" or "house," and the spelling Bhavan often represents that word. That is a separate term, however, not the usual source of the Tamil name Bavan, even though the two are easily confused in English.

Bavan Name History & Origins

The name's history is tied to the spread of Sanskrit religious vocabulary into Tamil. Tamil script does not normally distinguish aspirated consonants such as bh from plain b, so Sanskrit Bhava was adapted in Tamil as Pava or Bava. The Tamil form பவன் can be transliterated as Pavaṉ or Bavaṉ, and the English spelling Bavan is one rendering of that name.

Bhava is an old epithet of Shiva in Sanskrit devotional literature, appearing among Shiva's names in the Shiva Sahasranama, where it is associated with existence and the source of being. Its use as a Tamil personal name belongs to Hindu naming practice rather than to a single historical figure or literary character.

How Popular is the Name Bavan?

Bavan has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1964. Its best rank was #6,844 in 1964.

U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.

Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.

Most Popular Girl Names That Start with B

See List of Most Popular Girl Names Starting with B

Short Girl Names That Start with B

Discover Short Girl Names Starting with B

How the Name Bavan Shapes Your Personality and Life?

You can go to great heights and equally great depths. You are emotional and fixed in your opinions. You are hospitable, sentimental, often psychic, sometimes moody. You are ruled by love and the lack of it and feel a need to be encouraged and appreciated. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.

Dependable, very down-to-earth and well grounded, you are always looking for meaningful work, a career where you can take pride in your work and do the best job you are capable of. Your prime desire is to build protected and secure environment at home and at work. You can be very persuasive in achieving goals and gaining objectives. You can be very detailed and well-organized and possess great organizational skills. At times you may appear too stubborn and overly critical to others, but your practical approach to life and productivity makes you one of the most beneficent members of community.

✦ Bavan's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Bavan's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
Explore Insights & Tips

Name Search