- Ivan (footballer, born 1997), Brazilian football player
- Ivan (model) (Liera Manuel Ivan, born 1984), Japanese fashion model and musician
- Iván (singer) (Juan Carlos Ramos Vaquero, born 1959 or 1962), Spanish singer
- Ivan, German codename of Serbian spy Duško Popov
- Ivan IV, “The Terrible”, Russian emperor (1547–1584)
- Ivan V, Russian emperor (1682–1696)
- Ivan Mihailov, a Bulgarian revolutionary
- Ivan Almeida (born 1989), Cape Verdean basketball player
- Ivan Fedotov (born 1996), Russian ice hockey goaltender
- Ivan Brunetti (born 1967), cartoonist
- Ivan Dixon (1931–2008), American actor, director and producer
- Ivan (gorilla), painter
- Ivan Jones, British Writer and poet
- Ivan Denisovich Shukhov, a character of One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
- Ivan Karamazov, brother of protagonist Alyosha Karamazov, in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novel, The Brothers Karamazov
Those were just some of characters in life, most of whom I only now see existed.
But forget the dead ones. Almost 4 million people in the world have this name.
And me.
Which role should I play? Which one is not played already?
Should I compare myself to them? Or just the dead one and feel lucky to be alive.
Should I live up to the original meaning of the name (God is gracious)? Why should I?
Do I have some responsibility?
Should I aim at the top, be the 24th saint with this name?
Seems they only made my life a problem by giving me a name.
I can hardly call it a gift.
Please, next time, if someone is going to give me something,
give me something more lasting.
And less confusing.
