Bevan
A masculine Welsh name derived from a Celtic word meaning "young boy".
Name Census estimates that about 558 living Americans carry the first name Bevan. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 89.6% of registrations being male. The average person named Bevan today is around 39 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bevan births was 1978 (21 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bevan. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
558
~ 1 in 614,255 Americans
Peak year
1978
21 babies that year
Average age
39
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,068
Tracked since 1923
Gender
Gender distribution for Bevan
Bevan leans heavily male at 89.6% of total registrations, but 66 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Bevan as a male name
- Ranked #9,068 in 2024
- 8 male births in 2024
- Peak: 1978 (21 births)
Bevan as a female name
- Ranked #13,587 in 2011
- 7 female births in 2011
- Peak: 1983 (8 births)
Popularity
Bevan: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Bevan from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 125 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Bevan by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Bevan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Bevans live
Origin
Meaning and history of Bevan
The given name Bevan has its origins in the Welsh language, stemming from the word "bev" or "bev-an," which means "young" or "little." This name emerged in Wales during the Middle Ages and was likely used as a term of endearment or a diminutive form of other Welsh names.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Bevan dates back to the 13th century in Welsh historical records. It was primarily used in the regions of Wales and the Welsh Marches, which bordered England. The name's popularity spread gradually throughout the British Isles, particularly in areas with strong Welsh influence.
Historically, the name Bevan has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the earliest recorded figures was Bevan of Glamorgan, a Welsh nobleman who lived in the late 12th century and played a role in the struggle against Norman invaders. Another prominent figure was Bevan the Black, a Welsh warrior and chieftain from the 14th century, known for his resistance against English rule.
In the 16th century, Bevan ap Rhys was a Welsh clergyman and scholar who contributed to the translation of the Bible into the Welsh language. During the same period, Bevan Yorath was a renowned Welsh bard and poet, celebrated for his lyrical works in the native Welsh tongue.
Moving forward in history, Aneurin Bevan (1897-1960) was a prominent Welsh politician and a key figure in the establishment of the National Health Service in the United Kingdom. He served as the Minister of Health in the post-World War II Labour government and is celebrated for his efforts in creating a comprehensive public healthcare system.
Another notable individual with the name Bevan was Bevan Basdavidos (1940-2016), a Welsh poet, and writer who was recognized for his contributions to the Welsh literary scene. He was awarded the prestigious Gwobr Llenyddiaeth Cymru (Wales Literature Award) in 1996 for his outstanding literary work.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Bevan, showcasing its deep roots in Welsh culture and its enduring presence across various fields, from politics and literature to warfare and religious scholarship.
People
Bevan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bevan as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Bevan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bevan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 558 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bevan going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 614,255 US residents.
Is Bevan a common name?
We classify Bevan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 633 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bevan most popular?
The single biggest year for Bevan was 1978, when 21 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bevan is about 39 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Bevan a male name?
Yes, 89.6% of people registered as Bevan in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.