Vance is an English surname from the Old English fenn, meaning "marsh" or "fen dweller", given to someone who lived near wetlands. It has been a quiet but steady American given name for a century, and Vice President JD Vance brought it back into the headlines in 2024. Vance entered the top 1000 in 2001, peaked at number 723 in 2007 and has stayed near the 1000 line, ranking number 1080 in 2025.