Using Evan for a girl

[missrubi]

Hello,
Opinions welcome, thinking about using Evan for a baby girl. What does everyone think?

It's usually a boys' name and will probably require her to make a lot of corrections/explanations throughout her life - depends how much that bothers you!

What about:
Evaline/Evalynn
Savannah
Bethany
Ava
Ivy

Would you call a daughter John or Ian, @missrubi
Would you call your son Siân or Jane?

Horrible name for a girl. Why on earth would you want to pick it when there are thousands of much nicer girls' names out there?

Don't particularly like it for a boy, either, unless you're American.

one of DD’s best friends changed her name from something girly to Evan the summer before starting high school. There have been precisely zero issues.

I'm actually really confused by this as I knew a girl Evan growing up so I always think of it as a girl's name first and foremost, or at the very least unisex. I opened this thread expecting entirely different responses!

@zurigirl , it's an anglicised Welsh form of John, a boy's name

@KirstenBlest Thanks for letting me know! Never realised it was Welsh or a version of John, so that's two things learned in one day. 😁

I just looked it up online though, and nameberry and other websites are saying it's gender-neutral. So is it the fact that it's a version of John that puts people off? Or is it just a gut feeling people have that it's a boy's name?

@zurigirl , it's a boy's name in the same way as Mark and Paul are boy's names.
Welsh baby name sites usually contain many entries that are either not names or are not Welsh, and some that are quite bonkers.

I know two boys called Evan so it would seem very very odd to me to meet a baby girl Evan.

I think you have to think of her future, maybe by the time she's grown up all names will be used for both sexes. Or maybe it will date her as fast as Sharon or Claire date their generations.

@zurigirl , it's not because it is a form of John. I like the name John. But if I had a daughter, if I wanted to use a form of John, I'd use Jane, Joan, Joanne, Janet, Jean or, more likely as I'm welsh, Siân or Sioned.

I'd not use a name that has been used for centuries as a boy's name for a girl.
The unanglicised Welsh form of Evan, Ifan is very popular in Wales, for boys.

No, sorry, it’s a boy’s name. How about Erin?

Personally I wouldn't, it doesn't sound unisex and she would be assumed to be a boy. I had a friend whose name was misspelt the male way and she hated it.
Also it does sounds a bit 80s to me and would be like calling your daughter Craig or Jerome.

I'd use it. Barely know any boys named Evan (in fact, apart from Evan Peters, I don't know anyone personally with that name). And I don't think it's remotely similar to naming a girl James, or where there are many about. Sounds a lot more feminine than James too.

Or Welsh... y'know, as the name originates?

I know an E-Van. Spelled Aoibhean (irish) which is also sometimes pronounced aveen, A-vin or eve-een but I really like the pronunciation E Van. (Emphasis on the van, so not quite like evvvan's sound).

So I am a fan of Evan for a girl, however you pronounce it. I think it suits boy and girl.

It’s the Welsh version of John. It doesn’t work as a girl’s name. How about the Welsh version of Joanna? Is it Siwan? That’s what Google says. Or there’s Welsh girl names like Megan and Bethan if you like the -an ending. Or old English classics like Susan or Marian.

Nameberry is hardly a source of accurate information.

I had a recruiter named Evin - thought it was a man but when we met found out differently. The name actually fit her. I also know a Devin that is a woman. That fits her too. I don't think Evan/Evin is very masculine sounding so to me its an ok name for a girl.

@wellandtruly , Siwan is the welsh form of Joan or Joanna. It's fairly popular in Wales. There are two ways of saying it:
SEW-ann (Sew to rhyme with New not So) - North Wales
SHOO-ann - South Wales
Both are correct.

No it's not a nice name for a boy let alone a girl.

No. There must be nicer names for a baby girl.

I know an Evan and I like his name. It suits him.

"Or is it just a gut feeling people have that it's a boy's name?"

It's not a gut feeling! It's a Welsh boy's name.

I don't like it for a girl but I think it's cute for a boy.

my friend growing up, her sister was an Evan. Never thought twice about it, I like it