| Evan | Owen | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | God is gracious | Young warrior, well-born |
| Origin | welsh | Welsh |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | EV-uhn | OH-en |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2007 (10,295) | 2016 (10,305) |
| In 2025 | 2,412 | 7,190 |
| Trend | Declining | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Evan | Owen |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 17,014 | 48,832 |
| 2010s | 64,762 | 91,098 |
| 2000s | 92,144 | 61,878 |
| 1990s | 59,396 | 9,658 |
| 1980s | 32,484 | 4,050 |
| 1970s | 7,870 | 3,017 |
| 1960s | 5,084 | 2,916 |
| 1950s | 2,989 | 3,945 |
| 1940s | 1,545 | 3,922 |
| 1930s | 1,175 | 4,285 |
| 1920s | 1,511 | 5,873 |
| 1910s | 1,130 | 3,791 |
| 1900s | 218 | 860 |
| 1890s | 187 | 761 |
| 1880s | 192 | 758 |
An anglicisation of the Welsh Iefan/Ifan, a form of John, ultimately from Hebrew 'Yochanan' meaning 'God is gracious.' A John-root grace name.
Owen is a Welsh name, traditionally linked to “young warrior” or “well-born,” and connected to the Latin Eugene. It has been borne by Welsh princes and heroes.
Owen is more popular than Evan today: about 7,190 US babies were given the name Owen in 2025, compared with 2,412 named Evan.
Evan means God is gracious (welsh origin), while Owen means Young warrior, well-born (Welsh origin).
In US records, Evan first appears in 1880 and Owen in 1880, so Evan has the longer recorded history.