Gian Van Veen Doesn’t Use His Real Name For ‘Strange’ And 'Heartbreaking' Reason

The "strange" and "heartbreaking" reason why darts sensation Gian van Veen does not use his real name has emerged after a stunning World Darts Championship campaign.

Van Veen enjoyed an incredible run at Alexandra Palace, beating both Luke Humphries and Gary Anderson to set up a final with world No.1 and reigning champ Luke Littler.

The Dutchman was well beaten 7-1 by a ruthless Littler in the final, struggling to keep up with 'The Nuke' and missing crucial finishing darts.

Still, he bagged a whopping £400,000 in prize money for finishing as the runner-up and his rise to No.3 in the world rankings saw him secure a spot in the 2026 Premier League lineup through the PDC Order of Merit.

The 23-year-old, still the current world youth champion, is expected to be a major player in world darts for years to come - with he and Littler tipped to dominate this era.

Van Veen and Littler have been tipped to dominate darts. Image: Getty

But while he is poised to be a household name, 'The Giant' actually goes by a title than the one he was born with.

• If you want to see even more from SPORTbible, make us a preferred source on Google.

He was actually born Pieter Gerard van Veen and isn't called Gian at all. He has used the forename since childhood and now, following his meteoric rise, the story behind it has emerged.

On Monday, darts commentator and presenter Koert Westerman appeared on SBS6’s De Oranjewinte and revealed that he was renamed Gian by his parents following the death of a boy with the same name in their area.

"It’s actually a strange, yet heartbreaking story," the Viaplay commentator revealed, as per Darts News.

"It made such an enormous impact in that area that his parents decided to call their own son Gian, so that boy would never be forgotten,

“And then he plays in the World Championship final. We enjoyed him so much.”

Van Veen does not go by his birth name. Image: Getty

Van Veen is now the highest-ranked Dutchman in darts, ahead of three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen. He has joined his compatriot in the 17-week Premier League campaign for the first time alongside fellow newcomer Josh Rock.

The official line-up dropped on Monday, with the season season kicking off on 5 February at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle and running for 17 weeks.

The final takes place at the O2 Arena in London on May 28 and the overall winner will take home £350,000 in prize money.

2026 Premier League schedule in full:

Night 1 - Utilita Arena, Newcastle - Thursday February 5

Night 2 - AFAS Dome, Antwerp - Thursday February 12

Night 3 - OVO Hydro, Glasgow - Thursday February 19

Night 4 - SSE Arena, Belfast - Thursday February 26

Night 5 - Utilita Arena, Cardiff - Thursday March 5

Night 6 - Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham - Thursday March 12

Night 7 - 3Arena, Dublin - Thursday March 19

Night 8 - Uber Arena, Berlin - Thursday March 26

Night 9 - AO Arena, Manchester - Thursday April 2

Night 10 - Brighton Centre, Brighton - Thursday April 9

Night 11 - Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam - Thursday April 16

Night 12 - M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool - Thursday April 23

Night 13 - P&J Live, Aberdeen - Thursday April 30

Night 14 - First Direct Arena, Leeds - Thursday May 7

Night 15 - Utilita Arena, Birmingham - Thursday May 14

Night 16 - Utilita Arena, Sheffield - Thursday May 21

Finals Night - The O2, London - Thursday May 28

The 2026 Premier League Darts will take place from Thursday, February 5 to Thursday, May 28. You can purchase hospitality tickets on Seat Unique or watch live on Sky Sports via NOW TV.