boy's name
Ewan
YOO-an
- Origin Scottish Gaelic
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 4
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 28,630
Scotland
#197
2024 births
Ewan is a boy's name, the anglicization of the Scottish Gaelic Eòghann, generally given as born of the yew. Its largest market in our data is England and Wales rather than Scotland, which is unusual for a name this Scottish.
- Ewan is a name of Scottish Gaelic origin.
- Peaked in England and Wales in 2008, when 722 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in England and Wales.
- Today about 1 in 6,273 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1996.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Ewan over time
Births per decade in England and Wales, 1990s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 1,486 |
| 2000s | 5,993 |
| 2010s | 2,698 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 592 |
What Ewan means
Ewan is usually given as born of the yew tree. A competing account treats it as a form of John, which would give the sense God is gracious instead.
Where Ewan comes from
Ewan anglicizes the Scottish Gaelic Eòghann, and there are two accounts of what that name is. The first derives it from an old Celtic compound meaning born of the yew, from the element eburos — the yew being the tree of long life and of graveyards across Celtic Europe, and the same element that names York and Évreux. The second treats Eòghann as a Gaelic adaptation of Eoin, the Irish and Gaelic form of John, which would make Ewan a cousin of Ian rather than a tree name. Gaelic sources have used the two interchangeably for centuries, and the confusion is old enough that no clean separation is now possible.
Ewan in use
Ewan ranks 197th in Scotland on 22 births, 466th in England and Wales on 84, 654th in Ireland, 905th in France and 1483rd in the United States on 120. Its largest market in our data is England and Wales, where it peaked in 2008 with 722 births, and it is falling. Our records carry it from 1996 across 28,630 lifetime births — so a Scottish Gaelic name has accumulated more of its recorded history south of the border than north of it.
How popular is Ewan?
In 2025, Ewan was given to 84 babies in England and Wales, ranking #466 that year. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Ewan is used
Figures for England and Wales withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year, so a gap means the name fell below that floor rather than went unused. Data & sources.
How Ewan is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Éwan | Éwan is a rare spelling of Ewan, written with an acute accent and recorded about 10 times, mostly in France. | 10 |
Names that peaked alongside Ewan
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Ewan also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Ewan over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Ewan in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Ewan
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Ewan — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Ewan
What does the name Ewan mean?
Usually born of the yew, though a competing account makes it a Gaelic form of John.
Is it Ewan or Euan?
Both anglicize the same Gaelic name. Ewan is the more common spelling in our data.
Is Ewan related to Ian?
Possibly. If Eòghann is a form of Eoin rather than a yew name, then Ewan and Ian are the same name twice.
How popular is Ewan?
197th in Scotland, though its largest market in our data is England and Wales.
Is Ewan a girl's or a boy's name?
Ewan is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Ewan?
Ewan has 2 syllables.
Is Ewan a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Ewan currently ranks #197 in England and Wales. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.