Devan

Devan is generally considered an alternate spelling of Devin which finds its roots as a surname in both Ireland and England. In Irish-Gaelic the clan name Ó Damháin (descendent of Damhán) comes from a personal nickname meaning “fawn” (probably used to identify a temperate, gentle personality). In England, the surname Devin developed from a nickname brought by the French Normans after the Conquest of 1066. In this case, the Old French “devin” was borrowed from the Latin “divinus” which means “godlike, divine, heavenly”. The nickname was likely used on folks who exhibited qualities of distinction, perfection and excellence. In some cases it was a comical or ironic nickname used on people far from perfect. The first recorded spelling of the surname appeared in the late 12th century, rendered as “Deuin” reflecting the common medieval usage of “u” for “v”. During the Middle Ages in France, Devin was given as a byname to the highest of kings, as a title conveying a sense of perfection and excellence. We should also mention that Devan in Hindi (देवन) also means “like a god”. Today the names Devin and Devan are used gender-neutrally but they are far more popular for baby boys (in fact, they aren’t used on females with enough frequency to even make the Top 1000 list). Devyn is more or less the preferred spelling for baby girls.