8 of 9

Write now Article Tools

Evan (EV-an) rhymes with heaven' and is primarily a name chosen for boys, though it has been on occasion used for girls. The name Evan is most commonly believed to be a name of Welsh origin, anglicized from Iefan' which is the Welsh form of the name John, meaning god's gracious gift'.

In the Gaelic culture, the name is used to denote a male who is wellborn, or a young warrior. It is also thought to have come from the River Aven in the Scottish Highlands. The name may also have evolved from the Hebrew word that means, YHWH is gracious.

The fact that Evan can also be spelled as Even, suggests, that this name is a derivative from Eve, the Hebrew, for life-giving', appropriate to the biblical context.

The name has been consistently on the rise in popularity since 1957, when it was the 440th most popular boy's name, until 2006, when the Social Security Online site declared it to be the 42nd most popular boys name in the United States.

Variations of Evan, include Even, Evin, Evander, Ewan, Ewen, Owen, Aven, Ivan, Ian, Ioan, Iwan and Evangelos.

Evan is also a popular surname and was first heard in Herefordshire, a county in Western England and a site for border disputes between the English and the Welsh during the Middle Ages, and well before the 1066 A.D. arrival of Duke William of Hastings. Spelling variations of the surname include Evans, Evan, Evance, Evands, Evason, Evens, Evonson and many others.

Celebrities that share the name Evan, include actress Evan Rachel Wood, actor Evan Kim, American Sports Radio Personality, Evan Roberts, American musicians Evan Chambers and Evan Parker, as well as novelists Evan Hunter and Evan Dara.

Namesakes include the 9th Century Catholic Saint Evan, who's feast day is marked on August 18th. St. Evan was a hermit who lived in Ayrshire, Scotland, and many churches in the region are named for him.

Other namesakes include towns in Washington, West Virginia, Louisiana, Georgia and Colorado.

In numerology, Evan reduces to the number six, meaning they are affectionate, artistic, dependable, honest and kind.

Recent uses of the name Evan include the film, 'Evan Almighty' starring Steve Carell as a new elected congressman who boldly touted that he would change the world' during his campaign. When God, played by Morgan Freeman decided to take him up on his campaign promise, Carell's Evan Baxter began a not so subtle transformation into the biblical figure, Noah, and was charged by God, to build an ark and collect two of every kind of creature in the world.

Although the exact origin of the name Evan is arguable, the name's link to the divine remains undisputed.

Learn more about this author, Elizabeth Clark.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Behind the name: Evan?
We want to hear your view. Write now!