Meaning and Origin
What does the name Even mean? Keep reading to find the user submitted meanings, dictionary definitions, and more.
User Submitted Origins
User Submitted Meanings
- A submission from Norway says the name Even means "It originates from the old Norse word ' Auja' meaning luck or gift and another old Norse word 'Windur' meaning winner. Put together the two words mean victor. ( in war). Eyvind an Oyvind are older versions of the name still in use. Even has been known from about 1400" and is of Norwegian origin.
Etymology: OE. eve even efen æfen. AS. ǣfen; akin to OS. āband, OFries, āvend, D. avond, OHG. āband, Icel. aptan, Sw. afton, Dan. aften; of unknown origin. Cf. Eve Evening
- Level, smooth, or equal in surface; not rough; free from irregularities; hence uniform in rate of motion of action; as, even ground; an even speed; an even course of conduct.
- Equable; not easily ruffled or disturbed; calm; uniformly self-possessed; as, an even temper.
- Parallel; on a level; reaching the same limit."And shall lay thee even with the ground." [Luke xix. 44.]
- Balanced; adjusted; fair; equitable; impartial; just to both sides; owing nothing on either side; -- said of accounts, bargains, or persons indebted; as, our accounts are even; an even bargain. "To make the even truth in pleasure flow." [Shak.]
- Without an irregularity, flaw, or blemish; pure."I know my life so even." [Shak.]
- Associate; fellow; of the same condition.(Obs)"His evenservant." [Wyclif (Matt. xviii. 29).]
- Not odd; capable of division by two without a remainder; -- said of numbers; as, 4 and 10 are even numbers."Whether the number of the stars is even or odd." [Jer. Taylor.]
Etymology: AS. efen. efn; akin to OS. eban, D. even, OHG. eban, G. efen, Icel. jafn, Dan. jevn, Sw. jämn, Goth. ibns. Cf. Anent Ebb
- To make even or level; to level; to lay smooth."His temple Xerxes evened with the soil." [Sir. W. Raleigh.]"It will even all inequalities" [Evelyn.]
- To equal.(Obs)"To evenhim in valor." [Fuller.]
- To place in an equal state, as to obligation, or in a state in which nothing is due on either side; to balance, as accounts; to make quits; to make equal; as, to even the score.
- To set right; to complete.
- To act up to; to keep pace with.
- In an equal or precisely similar manner; equally; precisely; just; likewise; as well."Is it evenso?" [Shak.]" Even so did these Gauls possess the coast." [Spenser.]
- Up to, or down to, an unusual measure or level; so much as; fully; quite."Thou wast a soldier Even to Cato's wish." [Shak.]"Without . . . making us even sensible of the change." [Swift.]
- As might not be expected; -- serving to introduce what is unexpected or less expected."I have made several discoveries, which appear new, even to those who are versed in critical learning." [Addison.]
- At the very time; in the very case."I knew they were bad enough to please, even when I wrote them." [Dryden.]"By these presence, even the presence of Lord Mortimer." [Shak.]
Note: ☞ Even is sometimes used to emphasize a word or phrase. “I have debated even in my soul.”
Etymology: AS. efne. See Even (a.), and cf. E'en
- The latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall) ("he enjoyed the evening light across the lake")
- Make even or more even
- Become even or more even ("even out the surface")
- Make level or straight
- Equal in degree or extent or amount; or equally matched or balanced ("even amounts of butter and sugar", "on even terms", "it was a fifty-fifty (or even) split", "had a fifty-fifty (or even) chance", and "an even fight")
- Of the score in a contest
- Being level or straight or regular and without variation as e.g. in shape or texture; or being in the same plane or at the same height as something else (i.e. even with) ("an even application of varnish", "an even floor", "the road was not very even", and "the picture is even with the window")
- Divisible by two
- Occurring at fixed intervals ("the even rhythm of his breathing")
- Symmetrically arranged ("even features")
- Used as an intensive especially to indicate something unexpected ("even an idiot knows that", "declined even to consider the idea", and "I don't have even a dollar!")
- To a greater degree or extent; used with comparisons ("looked sick and felt even worse" and "an even (or still) more interesting problem")
- In spite of; notwithstanding ("even when he is sick, he works" and "even with his head start she caught up with him")
- To the full extent ("loyal even unto death")
From Middle English even, from Old English efen, efn, emn (“even, equal, like, level, just, impartial, true”), from Proto-Germanic *ebnaz (“flat, level, even; equal, straight”), from Proto-Indo-European *(h₁)emno- (“equal, straight; flat, level, even”). Cognate with West Frisian even (“even”), Low German even (“even”), Dutch even (“even, equal, same”), effen, German eben (“even, flat, level”), Danish jævn (“even, flat, smooth”), Swedish jämn (“even, level, smooth”), Icelandic jafn, jamn (“even, equal”), Old Cornish eun (“equal, right”) (attested in Vocabularium Cornicum eun-hinsic (“iustus, i. e., just”)), Old Breton eun (“equal, right”) (attested in Eutychius Glossary eunt (“aequus, i. e., equal”)), Middle Breton effn, Breton eeun, Sanskrit अम्नस् (amnás, “(adverb) just, just now; at once”).
- (mathematics, diminutive) An even number.
The verb descends from Old English efnan; the adverb from Old English efne.
- (mathematics, diminutive) An even number.
The traditional proposal connecting the Germanic adjective with the root Proto-Indo-European *(H)aim-, *h₂eim-, *(H)iem- (“similarity, resemblance”) (Latin imāgō (“picture, image, likeness, copy”), Latin aemulus (“competitor, rival”), Sanskrit यमस् (yamás, “pair, twin”)) is problematic from a phonological point of view.
- (mathematics, diminutive) An even number.
From Middle English even, from Old English ǣfen, from Proto-Germanic *ēbanþs. Cognate with Dutch avond, Low German Avend, German Abend, Danish aften. See also the related terms eve and evening.
- (archaic or poetic) Evening.
even was also found in the following language(s): Dutch and Middle Dutch