Van for a boy? And middle name ideas!

[Pebbles0934]

Hi I like Van for a boy but wanted to see opinions first as I know it's a big car etc! We like it from Van Morrison and also it is a name on its own in Vietnam meaning literature!
(However, I know it won't be to most people's taste)
If it's a name you think is ok, any middle name ideas?
Other name idea is Abel. But we already have a biblical boys name so didn't want to go with that trend really! Also have a daughter with a flowery girl name and a son with an unusual name similar to Cai.

Thanks for any input (not too harsh please!)

Personally it's a no from me, he'd forever be getting teased about being a van (of the vehicle description!)

I am going to be honest, before i noticed this was in Baby names i thought it was aChristmas thread asking where someone could get a toy van for their child. I love Van Morrison too but i am not keen on it as a name for a baby somehow. His name is a shortening of the name Ivan. Could you use that and use Van as a nn?

I didn't know Van Morrison was short for Ivan. I thought it was his whole surname, a bit like Von Trapp

I actually know a Van, although registered as Evander. How about using that instead?

As for middle names I think Cameron works well

Yes I thought you should use it as a shortening for Ivan too. Even just to appease snide remarks of 'Oh, Van! That's..... iiiiiinteresting'... You can say 'oh, he's an Ivan.' But I see that that's a silly reason for giving someone a name. Anyway. I have a Cuban friend Ivan, pron. ee-VAN rather than EYE-vun, so could work.

Oh Evander is amazing!!

I knew a Van as a teenager - he was always considered rather cool. I am very old though.

Please don't call your child Van. As a nickname, fine but not as their whole name.

What about Evan?

Otherwise Van Halen

Lead singer of catfish and the bottlemen is a van after van morrisson, I love him and think it's a nice name. Abel is the baby in sons of anarchy to me, I prefer it and really like Abe too, is it more popular in America, my ds2 has a name unheard of outside of Shakespeare but 10 a penny in the US. Be brave op, there's a lot of nonsense about abbreviations and stuff, but you can do it.

Do you have Vietnamese links? To me it sounds a bit like a surname. I knew someone whose surname was van der Xxxx. It is growing on me a bit as I think about it but he will get lots of comments. Personally I'd use a longer form.

My first thought was middle name Halen.. I love Evander though, with Van as a nn. Ivan is a great name too.

Do you have any connection to or heritage from Vietnam? I know 2 guys called Van, but they are both Vietnamese. Might be better to use it as a nickname as PPs have suggested?

Van morrisson was called van at primary school age according to wiki, I know it is an abbreviation of his middle name, but that's very common, my own brother is nsmed after my dad but has always gone by an abbreviation of his middle name.

I like Van on its own. I love Evander nn Van

I'd use it as a nickname for something, it wouldn't be the actual name - Evander, Vander, Evan, Elvan, Jovan, Vance

it's an absolutely dreadful name sorry OP but don't punish your son for the rest of his life with this!

I also know an Evander with the nn Van. I like that more.

For middle, possibly 'Ellis' - depending on how it and 'Van' sound with your surname.

I hate Van on its own but the I do have a strong dislike for Van Morrison Agree with others suggestions - as a nn for Ivan or Evander it's fine.

I knew a Van, he was a Kevan, and apparently went to school with a Kevin and were known as vin and van! I like van, it suited him well.