Name to Consider: Bevin

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B. writes:

I heard this name again recently (I once knew a girl by the name who was born in the early 1980s), and a quick search revealed you've never discussed it on the blog.  Bevin (or Bevan?), as a girl's name.  I'd assume its pronounced BEV-in or BEV-an. Preliminary research tells me its an Anglicization of the Celtic name Beibhinn (BAY-vin), meaning white or fair.  It has a lot to recommend it for popularity:  there is a young actress by the name (Bevin Prince); it has Celtic roots but is easy to spell and pronounce; it has a pleasing familiar quality (similar to popular male names like Kevin and Evan); its also a surname.  Yet it has never gained traction.  Social Security database says it has not been in the top 1000 in the past 100 years, although it has been given to between 15 and 25 girls in each year between 2008 and 2011 (all I had time to search). 

My husband (a high school teacher) tried it out on his students (a very scientific sample, to be sure), and none reacted positively.  They thought it looked like "bovine" or was too similar to Devin or that it looked invented.

I'd be interested in your/ your reader's thoughts.

Starting with the Social Security database, I find this info for 2011 babies:

6 boys and 7 girls named Bevan
15 girls named Bevin

The spellings Bevyn and Beven seem to be unused (or at least, they're not in the database, so there were 4 or fewer of each in 2011).

The Oxford Dictionary of First Names has Bevan listed as a surname name meaning "son of Evan." Bevin is listed as the Anglicized version of the Irish name Béibhinn, as you mention.

For me, it calls to mind The Name Game song. Evan Evan bo-bevan, banana-fana fo-fevan. I don't know why it would do so, when Devan and Kevin don't, but it does.

I think I'm also getting a little bit of a Beavis feeling about it.

I also think of the word bevy.

I wonder if the similar names Bethan and Beverly (neither currently in style) and the dropping popularity of Devan and Kevin affect its popularity as well: the sounds of it may be out of style right now, but it may come bursting in when those sounds come back around.

Let's have a poll over to the right to see what we think of the name overall. [Poll closed; see results below.]


Poll results for "What do you think of the name Bevin?" (448 votes total):

I love it! I'd want to use it! - 4 votes (1%)
I like it! I'd want to consider it! - 27 votes (6%)
I like it for someone else's baby - 64 votes (14%)
No particular opinion either way - 43 votes (10%)
Slight dislike - 177 votes (40%)
Strong dislike - 133 votes (30%)