NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Kevan

Variant of the Scottish name Kevin, meaning "handsome birth".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Kevan is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Kevan popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5119, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 6 births.

This profile covers 58 England and Wales registrations across 16 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 50% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 167 living people in the UK are called Kevan. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Kevan ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1996, when 6 boys were registered as Kevan.
  • Kevan ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #306 in 1995.
  • About 167 living people in the UK are estimated to have Kevan as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#5119

2024

Births in 2024

3

Latest year

Peak year

1996

6 births

Estimated living

167

2026

Meaning

What does Kevan mean?

The name Kevan is a variant spelling of the name Kevin, which has its origins in the Goidelic languages of Ireland and Scotland. The name is derived from the Irish word 'caomhán,' meaning 'handsome birth' or 'birth of a beloved.' It is believed to have emerged as a distinct name in the 6th century AD, during the early medieval period in Ireland.

The name Kevan gained popularity in Ireland and Scotland, where it was often associated with the Gaelic tradition and culture. It is thought to have been particularly prevalent among the clans and families of these regions, as names often held significant cultural and ancestral significance.

While the name Kevan does not appear to have any direct references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is possible that it may have been used informally or locally during the early medieval period in Ireland and Scotland.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Kevan can be found in the Irish Annals, which document events in Ireland from the 5th to the 16th century. The Annals mention a man named Kevan Mac Conchobhair, who lived in the 12th century and was a member of the prominent Conchobhair family of Connacht, Ireland.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Kevan, including:

1. Kevan Gosper (born 1933), an Australian sports administrator and former Olympic athlete. He served as the President of the Australian Olympic Committee from 1985 to 2022.

2. Kevan Miller (born 1987), a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played for the Boston Bruins in the National Hockey League (NHL).

3. Kevan Broadhurst (born 1942), a British author and poet known for his works on the history and culture of Lancashire, England.

4. Kevan Jones (born 1962), a British Labour Party politician who has served as the Member of Parliament for North Durham since 2005.

5. Kevan Lannister, a fictional character from the "A Song of Ice and Fire" book series by George R.R. Martin, depicted as a skilled warrior and member of the powerful Lannister family in the fantasy world of Westeros.

While the name Kevan may not be as widely used today as its more common counterpart Kevin, it maintains a connection to the rich cultural heritage and history of Ireland and Scotland, serving as a reminder of the diverse origins and meanings behind many given names.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Kevan over time

The chart below shows babies named Kevan registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Kevan, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2024, compared with 6 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Kevan
02356199620102024

Decades

Kevan by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Kevan was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #5119 3 1
2010s #4562 16 5
2000s #3163 24 6
1990s #2617 15 4

Geography

Where Kevan is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Kevan. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Kevan ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #306 in 1995.

Scotland
5

Across the UK

Kevan in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#306 in 1995

18 years of NRS records, 113 total registered

Related

Names similar to Kevan

FAQ

Kevan: questions and answers

How popular is the name Kevan in the UK right now?

In 2024, Kevan was ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Kevan most popular?

The peak year on record was 1996, with 6 babies registered as Kevan in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Kevan?

Variant of the Scottish name Kevin, meaning "handsome birth".

How many people are called Kevan in the UK?

A total of 58 babies have been registered as Kevan across the 16 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 113 more in Scotland.

Where is Kevan most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Kevan ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #306 in 1995. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.