How to say it
EV · an
/ˈɛv.ən/
Masculine
Evan
God is gracious
What it means
Welsh form of John, from the Hebrew Yochanan ('Yahweh is gracious'). The Welsh Ioan became Iefan, then Evan in English transliteration. The same name as John in another tradition.
Evan is the Welsh form of John, traced through Ioan and Iefan in medieval Welsh; ultimately the same Hebrew root as Yochanan ('Yahweh is gracious'). The Welsh tradition uses Evan as both first name and surname. The English Evan was rare outside Wales until the 20th century, then surged with the broader interest in Celtic names. Dear Evan Hansen (the 2015 Broadway musical and 2021 film) gave the name modern theatrical anchor. The name has been in the US top 100 since 1986 and is sliding gently. Single syllable in some American pronunciations, two in most. No common short.
Popularity over time
peaked at #35 in 2009, currently #153 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pronunciation
EV-an, two syllables. Some Welsh families pronounce it closer to AYV-an or YEV-an, but the EV-an pronunciation dominates English-language usage.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Dear Evan Hansen 2015 Broadway musical about a socially anxious teenager
- Evan Peters American actor, American Horror Story and WandaVision
Spelling variants
- Owen
- Ewan
- Ifan
Names with the same feeling
See Evan from another angle
By meaning
By style