by Abigail Zhu

Created on: February 12, 2008

GENDER:
Primarily male but is also used (seldom) for female

PRONOUNCIATION:
EV-an
Eh-vun
EV-in

ETYMOLOGY:
Swift (Gaelic)
Young (Welsh)
Right-Handed (Scottish)
God is good/ God has been gracious/ God has shown favour (Hebrew)

ORIGIN & History:
The name Evan is of Welsh origin and is derived from "lefan", the Welsh form of the Hebrew John; closely related to "Ivan", "Ian" and "Juan". On occasion it is also considered a shortened form of the Greek name "Evangelos". In cases whereby females go by the name Evan, they are usually named Evangeline or Evangelina.

In the Gaelic culture, the name Evan is used to indicate a male who is of wellborn status, or that of a young warrior. It is also thought to have originated from the River Aven, in the Scottish Highlands.

Evan is also a popular surname; it was first heard in Herefordshire - Western England - a site common for border disputes between the English and Welsh during the Middle Ages.

POPULARITY:
In the United States alone, popularity of the name Evan has steadily risen over the past fifty years. In 1957, it went from being the 440th to the 38th in 2005. Globally, Evan has been the 48th most popular name and was the 63rd most popular name in the 1990s.

FACTS:
The movie "Evan Almighty" was released in 2007.

A town in Minnesota is called Evan.

In numerology, Evan reduces to the number six - creative, affectionate, reliable, truthful and kind.

There are states, mountains, songs, movies, and businesses are called Evan.

FAMOUS PERSONS:
Evan Dara - American postmodernist novelist

Evan Rachel Wood - American female actress

Evan Harold Davis - British economist and journalist

Evan Eschmeyer - former American professional basketball player

Evan Forde - American oceanographer

NAMESAKES:
Even, Evin, Evander, Ewan, Ewen, Evans, Evan, Evance, Evands, Evason, Evens, Evonson, Owen, Aven, Ivan, Ian, Ioan, Iwan and Evangelos

References:
http://www.babynames.com/name/EV AN
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evan_Dara
http://en.wi kipedia.org/wiki/Evan
http://www.babyhold.com/list/We lsh_Baby_Names/Evan/details/

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