Fun Facts About the Name Venture
- 84 babies named Venture: U.S. records list 84 babies given the name Venture from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Venture Mean?
Venture is an English word name meaning "a risky or daring undertaking." It comes from the English noun venture, a shortened form of Middle English aventure, which was borrowed from Old French aventure - the same source as English adventure. Old French aventure goes back to Latin adventura, "things about to happen," from the future participle of advenire, "to come to, arrive," formed from ad-, "to," and venire, "to come." In medieval use the word covered chance, fate, and fortune as well as a bold enterprise; the modern personal name usually keeps the sense of an enterprise undertaken with risk.
It is not the same name as the Spanish and Italian surname and given name Ventura, meaning "fortune" or "luck," which developed in those languages from Latin ventura. Bonaventure, an Italian and French name meaning "good fortune," is also a separate formation.
Venture Name History & Origins
As a personal name, Venture belongs to the group of English vocabulary names - like Chase or Justice - taken directly from a common word rather than inherited from an older given-name tradition. The word itself has been in English since the Middle English period, when aventure and the shortened venture meant both "chance or fortune" and "an enterprise involving risk."
Venture is also found as an English surname, and some later given-name use may reflect surnames being used as first names. A well-documented early bearer of the name as a first name is Venture Smith (c. 1729 - 1805), who was born in West Africa, was enslaved in New England as a child, and later purchased his own freedom. He bore the name Venture in slavery and used it in his autobiography, published in 1798. Apart from isolated cases such as this, Venture has not been a common given name in English-speaking countries, and it is now used occasionally as an aspirational word name.
How Popular is the Name Venture?
Venture 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 2024. Its best rank was #5,856 in 2024.
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.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #8,862 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2024 | #5,856 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2023 | #8,861 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2022 | #6,127 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2021 | #13,932 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2020 | #8,672 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2019 | #12,039 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2017 | #8,782 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2012 | #12,187 | 6 | 0.0003% |
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.
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How the Name Venture Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are fixed in your opinions, firm in your friendships and square in your dealings with others. You are an excellent worker. Since you are both possessive and emotional, you can be either very practical or very impractical and unpredictable. Your dual nature needs to become steadfast. You are the marrying kind. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Venture's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Venture's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.