Evans (surname)

Evans is a unisex name and surname of Welsh, and possibly Cornish,[1][2] origin. Within Wales it is the fifth most common surname and is the tenth most common in England.[3] Within the United States, it is ranked as the 48th-most common surname.[4]

Origin

Evans is of Welsh origin. In its anglicised form the name means "son of Evan". Regarding its Welsh roots, it is a derivative of the name Ifan, a cognate of John.[5] In the Welsh language, the f produces the v sound; Ifan (Ivan) became Evan.

The similarity to the Slavic name Ivan is not accidental, as it is also a cognate of John.

In the Welsh language the patronymic "ab Evan" resulted in the anglicized surname "Bevan", which is also common in Wales.

Notable persons named Evans

References
  1. George Pawley White. A handbook of Cornish surnames
  2. "Cornish surnames E". Freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com. Retrieved 2013-07-15.
  3. "Campbell Surname Meaning and Distribution". forebears.co.uk. Retrieved 21 January 2014
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on October 12, 2010. Retrieved August 10, 2006.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. Kimberly Powell. "Evans Surname Meaning and Origin". About.com Parenting.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.