The name carries a Latin verb in its etymology — vincere, "to conquer" — though the saints and artists who gave it its most lasting associations quietly redirected that inheritance toward something less martial. Saint Vincent de Paul, the seventeenth-century French priest renowned for founding charitable organizations for the sick and the poor, bent the name toward service and practical compassion rather than conquest. Then, three centuries later, Vincent van Gogh put his first name in the lower corner of every canvas he produced, and suddenly the name belonged equally to something else: obsessive color, personal cost, and the specific courage required to keep making work that no one around you seems to want until, long after you are gone, they do.
Vincent has held a steady place in the U.S. top 150 for more than a century — one of those names that belongs to no single decade and claims no particular era as its home. Currently at rank 111, it sits in confident middle territory, used with a consistency across generations that suggests genuine affection rather than fashion.
Two syllables — VIN-sent — the first emphasized and certain, the second settling into quiet. It pairs naturally with Damian, Adriel, Arthur, or Landon — names that share that combination of layered historical weight and everyday legibility. Vinny and Vince both work easily as warmer, more casual alternatives for people who find the full name slightly formal. The boy who grows up as Vincent tends to be the one who takes his time on things that are worth taking time on, has a genuine relationship with beauty in whatever specific form it arrives, and is quietly and unmistakably himself.
Popularity
1880 to today
US SSA data. Lower rank number means more popular. A flat line at the top of the chart means the name did not rank in the top 1000.
Nicknames
- Vinny
- Vince
Middle name ideas
All middle names for VincentFamous people
None notable in our records yet.
In fiction
No fictional associations tracked.
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Names like Vincent
Damian
Steady· boy
From Greek daman, 'to tame' or 'to subdue'
Adriel
Rising· boy
Hebrew, 'flock of God' or 'of God's congregation'
Archer
Rising· boy
English occupational surname for a bowman
Landon
Falling· boy
Old English place name, 'long hill'
Arthur
Rising· boy
Possibly from Celtic artos, 'bear'; legendary king of Camelot