Vanya

VA-nya; VAN-ya

Diminutive of Ivana, Russian, Bulgarian, Indian

"God is gracious; deity of the forest and the wild"

Vanya Origin and Meaning

The name Vanya is a girl's name meaning "God is gracious; deity of the forest and the wild".

Used as both a diminutive for Ivana, and as a given name in Bulgaria, Vanya has a cool sharp sound that could work internationally. It has been used from a character in the TV show and comic book The Umbrella Academy and is borne by singer and writer Vanya Shtereva and poet Vanya Petkova.

The name is also used in India as a form of Aranyani, the Hindu deity of the forest. It is borrowed from the Sanskrit word for "wild" and "forest".