Evan
PronunciationWelsh: [ˈɛvan]
English: /ˈɛvən/
GenderMale (primarily)
Language(s)English, Welsh
Origin
Meaning
  • Welsh form of John
  • "YHWH is gracious"[1] (Ancient Hebrew)
Region of originCeltic
Other names
Related namesJohn, Jan, Jane, Janez, Jean (male and female), Jhon, Joan, Hans, Juan, João, Johan/Johann, Johanan, Johannes, Jonne, Jovan, Juhani, Yahya, Yohannes, Ivan, Iven, Ifan, Ian, Ioan, Siôn, Siân, Sioned, Siobhan, Seán, Shane, Sinéad

Evan is a Welsh given name derived from Iefan, a Welsh form of the name John. Similar names that share this origin include Ivan, Ian, and Juan. "John" itself is derived from the ancient Hebrew name יְהֹוחָנָן‎ (romanised: Yəhôḥānān), meaning "Yahweh is gracious". Evan can also occasionally be found as a shortened version of Greek names like Evangelos and Evander. While mostly male, the name is also given to women, as with the actress Evan Rachel Wood or American Cabinet Secretary Evan Ryan. It may also be encountered as a surname, although Evans is a far more common form within this context.

Other languages possess words and names ostensibly similar to Evan, such as Eógan in Scottish Gaelic and Irish, Owain in Welsh, and Owen in English. However, these names are altogether different etymologically, generally thought to come from the Greek and Latin word eugenēs, which means "noble" or "well-born".[2]

Popularity

The popularity of the name Evan in the United States had risen steadily in recent decades, going from the 440th-ranked male name in 1957 to peaking at the 35th-ranked male name in 2009. Immediately afterward, however, it began to decline precipitously, dropping out of the top 50 male names in the US by 2013 and out of the top 100 by 2020. Among American males in 2021, the name had less than a third of the popularity it had had in 2010.

Female popularity

While Evan is still predominantly a male name, its use among girls has become increasingly common. Its use in both contexts started to rise in the late 1970s, but in contrast to the steep decline that Evan as a male name saw after 2009, the frequency of Evan as a female name more than tripled as a share of overall use in the same period. By 2021, the name had modestly increased in popularity above its usage in 2010 among American girls.

Evan's popularity as a male name 2000–2021
YearRank
2021118
2020102
201996
201886
201784
201669
201567
201458
201355
201247
201140
201036
200935
200838
200740
200642
200539
200439
200344
200256
200156
200055
Sources:[3][4]

People

Given name

Fictional characters

Surname

  • Rev. Cadwallader William Evan (?–1876), first minister of Stow Church, Adelaide, South Australia
    • Mostyn Evan (1861–1924), Cadwallader William Evan's son. A South Australian lawyer and sports administrator
  • Gerard Evan (born 1955), British biologist
  • Gio Evan (born 1988; as Giovanni Giancaspro), Italian artist
  • Jared Evan (born 1989; as Jared Evan Siegel), U.S. singer-songwriter
  • Rob Evan, U.S. actor and singer

See also

  • All pages with titles beginning with Evan
  • Euan
  • Inan

References

  1. ↑ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "John" . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
  2. ↑ Morgan, T. J.; Morgan, Prys (1985). Welsh Surnames. University of Wales. pp. 172–173.
  3. ↑ "Popular Baby Names". Social Security Online. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Baby Name Website". Baby Center. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
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