Evans

/ˈɛvənz/ noun

Definition

A surname of Welsh origin meaning 'son of Evan,' commonly found in English-speaking countries.

Etymology

From Welsh 'Evan' (a form of John through Irish/Gaelic origins) with the Welsh patronymic ending '-ap' that became anglicized to '-s,' so 'ap Evan' became 'Evans.'

Kelly Says

Welsh surnames with '-ap' and '-s' endings are linguistic fossils showing how surnames form from 'son of'—just like Scandinavian '-sen' or '-son,' but Evans is one of the most common surnames in the world specifically because Wales shared so many cultural names.

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