Find out how popular the last name Evans is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Evans.

Evans, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Evans surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Evans in America

Evans is the 53rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Evans surname appeared 355,593 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 121 people would have the surname Evans.

We can also compare 2010 data for Evans to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Evans

The surname Evans is of Welsh origin, derived from the personal name Iefan, which is the Welsh form of John. It is believed to have originated in the early Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century, in various parts of Wales.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Black Book of St. David's, a medieval manuscript from the 13th century, which mentions an individual named Ieuan ab Iorwerth. The name Ieuan, later anglicized as Evan or Evans, became a common patronymic surname in Wales, meaning "son of Evan."

The surname Evans is also linked to several place names in Wales, such as Evanstown in Flintshire and Evanslough in Radnorshire. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the surname Evans who lived or owned land in those areas.

Among the notable individuals with the surname Evans throughout history are:

1. Griffith Evans (c. 1670-1737), a Welsh clergyman and author known for his work "A Map of Universal History."
2. Sir John Evans (1823-1908), a British archaeologist and numismatist, known for his contributions to the study of ancient stone tools and coins.
3. Mary Ann Evans (1819-1880), better known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist renowned for works such as "Middlemarch" and "The Mill on the Floss."
4. William Evans (1790-1872), a Welsh Baptist minister and educator, who played a significant role in the establishment of the Baptist College in Haverfordwest.
5. Sir John Evans (1928-2011), a British entrepreneur and philanthropist, known for founding and leading the successful retail chain Next.

The surname Evans has a rich history rooted in the Welsh culture and language. Over time, it has spread beyond Wales to other parts of the United Kingdom and beyond, carried by individuals of Welsh descent or those who adopted the name for various reasons.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Evans

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Evans.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Evans was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Evans has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Evans was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Evans, please contact us.

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