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Evan

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For the city, see Evan, Minnesota.
Evan
PronunciationWelsh: [ˈɛvan]
English: /ˈɛvən/
GenderMale (occasionally female)
Language(s)English, Scottish Gaelic, Scots, Welsh
Origin
Meaning
  • form of "John" / "YHWH is gracious"[1] (Welsh)
  • "Young warrior" (Gaelic)
  • "Right-handed" (Scots)
  • As an abbreviation:
  • "Good messenger/Good man" (Greek)
Region of originCeltic
Other names
Related namesJohn, Ian, Ioan, Siôn, Siân, Sioned, Ivan, Iven, Ifan, Siobhan, Jan, Jane, Janez, Jean (male and female), Jhon, Joan, Hans, Juan, João, Johan/Johann, Johanan, Johannes, Jonne, Jovan, Juhani, Seán, Shane, Sinéad, Yahya, Yohannes

Evan is both an English and Welsh given name derived from "Iefan", a Welsh form for the name John. In other languages it bears similarities to "Ivan", "Ian", and "Juan"; the name John itself is derived from the ancient Hebrew name יְהֹוחָנָן‎ Yəhôḥānān, which means "Yahweh is gracious". Evan can also be the shortened version of the Greek names "Evangelos" (meaning "good messenger") and "Evander" (meaning "good man"). While mostly male, the name is also given to women, as with actress Evan Rachel Wood, leading some to characterise it as unisex.[2] It may also be encountered as a surname, of which Evans is the most common version.

Other languages also assign meaning to Evan as a word or name. It is related to the Gaelic word "Eóghan" meaning "youth" or "young warrior", and means "right-handed" in Scots.[3] Hebrew: אֶבֶן, romanized: even literally means "rock".

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
Year Rank
2021 118
2020 102
2019 96
2018 86
2017 84
2016 69
2015 67
2014 58
2013 55
2012 47
2011 40
2010 36
2009 35
2008 38
2007 40
2006 42
2005 39
2004 39
2003 44
2002 56
2001 56
2000 55
Sources:[4][5]

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

See also

References

  1. ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "John" . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
  2. ^ Allen, Jamie (17 March 2023). "Evan - Baby Name Meaning, Origin, and Popularity". The Bump. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
  3. ^ "Evan". Think Baby Names. Retrieved July 18, 2012.
  4. ^ "Popular Baby Names". Social Security Online. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  5. ^ "Baby Name Website". Baby Center. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
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