Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Evan

Evan is the Welsh form of John which is the English form of the Hebrew “Yohanan” meaning “Jehovah has favored” or "Yahweh is gracious" from “hanan” “he was gracious”. John is a name that originated in the Old Testament (or Hebrew Bible) as one of King David’s mighty men; however, usage of the name is attributed more to the Johns from the New Testament (i.e., the Baptist and the Evangelist). John has traditionally been a name of great importance since early Christianity, but it wasn’t until the Crusades when Western Europeans were reintroduced to the name. By the 14th century, John was rivaling William for the top spot in England. Celtic Christians were equally enthusiastic about this name: the Irish adopted John as Seán, the Scottish as Ian, the Manx as Ean and the Welsh as Evan. As you can see from all the related names and variations to the right, John is a name that has come in many flavors. Evan is the Welsh flavor. Additionally, Evan has a second possible etymology so you get a bigger bang for your buck with this name. Many etymologists believe that Evan is related to the Welsh “ieuanc” meaning "young” from the Proto-Indo-European root *i̯eu- meaning "vital force, youthful vigor". Still hugely popular among Welsh baby boys, Evan is also embraced by all other English-speaking nations (it’s also quite popular in France).

All About the Baby Name – Evan

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME EVAN

Romance is the hallmark of the Six personality. They exude nurturing, loving, and caring energy. Sixes are in love with the idea of love in its idealized form - and with their magnetic personalities, they easily draw people toward them. Like the number Two personality, they seek balance and harmony in their life and the world at large. They are conscientious and service-oriented, and a champion for the underdog. These personalities naturally attract money and are usually surrounded by lovely material objects - but their human relationships are always primary. They thrive in giving back to others rather than being motivated by their own desires. This is when they achieve great things. Sixes are natural teachers, ministers and counselors.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME EVAN

Evan reached his highest point of popularity ever in 2009 when the name hit the #35 spot. For most of the name’s long existence on the U.S. popularity charts, Evan never achieved any meaningful success until the early 1980s when it finally crossed the Top 100 threshold (1983). And it hasn’t looked back since. In fact, right now, out of all the masculine names related to John, Evan is the fifth most popular today (Jackson, John, Jonathan and Jack still have him beat). Other John names that are currently on America’s Top 100 list are Jaxon, Ivan, Sean and Juan. It’s weird how all these names are related, but they are. Evan is a great choice for parents interested in capturing some of that “youthful” Welsh spirit. Despite its growing success, Evan still feels very original.

Quick Facts

ON EVAN

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

Celtic

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

55

PRONUNCIATION:

EV-әn

SIMPLE MEANING:

God is gracious; or Young

Characteristics

OF EVAN

Humanitarian

Community-minded

Family-oriented

Loving

Affectionate

Compassionate

Sensitive

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Evan

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME EVAN

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Evan

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME EVAN

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Evan


Popular Songs

ON EVAN

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Evan


Famous People

NAMED EVAN

Evan Rachel Wood (actress)

Children of Famous People

NAMED EVAN

Jenny McCarthy;

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME EVAN

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Evan