Evans is a Welsh surname meaning "son of Evan", and Evan is the Welsh form of John, so the name ultimately means "God is gracious". It is one of the most common surnames in Wales and belongs to the current wave of surname first names in America. In the United States Evans ranked number 2827 in 2000, reached its high point at number 1865 in 2024 and stands at number 2082 among boys' names in 2025.