Evan

Evan is a Welsh masculine given name, derived from Iefan, a Welsh form of the name John. Similar names that share this origin include Ivan, Ian, and Juan. "John" itself is derived from the ancient Hebrew name יְהֹוחָנָן‎ (romanised: Yəhôḥānān), meaning "Yahweh is gracious". Evan can also occasionally be found as a shortened version of Greek names like Evangelos and Evander. While mostly male, the name is also given to women, as with the actress Evan Rachel Wood or White House Cabinet Secretary Evan Ryan. It may also be encountered as a surname, although Evans is a far more common form within this context.

Other languages possess words and names ostensibly similar to Evan, such as Eógan in Scottish Gaelic and Irish, Owain in Welsh, and Owen in English. However, these names are altogether different etymologically, generally thought to come from the Greek and Latin word eugenēs, which means "noble" or "well-born".^[2]