| Evan | Ellis | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | God is gracious | Benevolent; from Elijah |
| Origin | welsh | Welsh |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | EV-uhn | EL-iss |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2007 (10,295) | 2025 (1,417) |
| In 2025 | 2,412 | 1,417 |
| Trend | Declining | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Evan | Ellis |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 17,014 | 7,039 |
| 2010s | 64,762 | 7,098 |
| 2000s | 92,144 | 2,355 |
| 1990s | 59,396 | 1,796 |
| 1980s | 32,484 | 1,514 |
| 1970s | 7,870 | 1,664 |
| 1960s | 5,084 | 2,596 |
| 1950s | 2,989 | 3,970 |
| 1940s | 1,545 | 4,617 |
| 1930s | 1,175 | 4,482 |
| 1920s | 1,511 | 6,125 |
| 1910s | 1,130 | 4,433 |
| 1900s | 218 | 1,100 |
| 1890s | 187 | 886 |
| 1880s | 192 | 728 |
An anglicisation of the Welsh Iefan/Ifan, a form of John, ultimately from Hebrew 'Yochanan' meaning 'God is gracious.' A John-root grace name.
From the Welsh Elis, a form of Elijah, “the Lord is my God,” and linked to “benevolent.”
Evan is more popular than Ellis today: about 2,412 US babies were given the name Evan in 2025, compared with 1,417 named Ellis.
Evan means God is gracious (welsh origin), while Ellis means Benevolent; from Elijah (Welsh origin).
In US records, Evan first appears in 1880 and Ellis in 1880, so Evan has the longer recorded history.