The baby name Iefan is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced YEH-van (approx.; Welsh IPA: /ˈjɛvan/).
Iefan is Welsh in Origin.
The baby name Iefan is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced YEH-van (approx.; Welsh IPA: /ˈjɛvan/).
Iefan is Welsh in Origin.
Iefan is a traditional Welsh given name, a native form of John. It descends from Hebrew Yochanan, meaning "YHWH is gracious," transmitted via Greek Ioannes and Latin Iohannes, then adapted through Welsh phonology into several forms; Iefan sits alongside Ifan, Ieuan, Ioan, and Iwan as parallel Welsh reflexes of the same root.
Medieval Welsh charters and early parish registers record Iefan frequently, and the anglicized Evan arose directly from Iefan/Ifan, spreading widely in Wales and beyond. Today Iefan is comparatively rare, often chosen to emphasize Welsh heritage, while Ifan, Ioan, Ieuan, and the English Evan and John are more common. Close relatives in other languages include Sean and Eoin (Irish), Iain/Ian (Scottish), Jean (French), Jan (Dutch/Polish), Johann/Johannes (German), Juan (Spanish), Joao (Portuguese), Giovanni (Italian), and Ivan (Slavic). Across all these variants, the enduring meaning remains "God is gracious."
Iefan is about as rare as a name gets. We hold just 10 recorded uses of it, from 5 countries.
Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.
| Country | Gender | Year | Rank | Born | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IN | Boys | 0 | #1,038 | 2 | 16,750 |
| AE | Boys | 0 | #1,142 | 2 | 22,615 |
| MY | Boys | 0 | #1,179 | 4 | 25,439 |
| ZA | Boys | 0 | #1,272 | 1 | 25,619 |
| SA | Boys | 0 | #1,691 | 1 | 28,008 |
Iefan is popular in 5 countries — most recent births per country:
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