Where did the baby name Bavan come from in 1964?

Jazz singer Yolande Bavan
Yolande Bavan

The interesting name Bavan was a one-hit wonder in the baby name data in the mid-1960s:

  • 1966: unlisted
  • 1965: unlisted
  • 1964: 5 baby girls named Bavan [debut]
  • 1963: unlisted
  • 1962: unlisted

Where did it come from?

Jazz singer Yolande Bavan.

She was born Yolande Woolf in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in 1942. She moved to London in the early ’60s to launch a career in entertainment. She was primarily acting in stage roles when a friend (Indian film director Waris Hussein) recommended she start going by “Yolande Bavan.”

Not long after that, she was asked to replace “Ross” in the famous jazz vocal group Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. (Annie Ross was leaving due to health issues.) Yolande joined in mid-1962, and thereafter the trio was known as Lambert, Hendricks & Bavan.

Lambert, Hendricks & Bavan
Lambert, Hendricks & Bavan

The trio performed at major jazz festivals, put out three albums, and made various TV appearances* together before disbanding in mid-1964.

What are your thoughts on the baby name Bavan? (Do you like it more or less than, say, the Irish name Bevin?)

*The trio performed on a late 1962 episode of To Tell the Truth — right after a segment in which Yolande was a contestant.

Sources: Singing the truth – The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka), Yolande Bavan pines for home – The Island (Sri Lanka), Lambert, Hendricks & Bavan (February 22, 1963) – Jazz Casual [vid]

2 thoughts on “Where did the baby name Bavan come from in 1964?

  1. I love Bevin….and I just spent 5 hours down the rabbit hole of name meanings for my characters lolol I have 7 4×6 cards full and about 20 tabs are still open haha
    Ah I love onomatology hehe

  2. I know exactly what you mean about going down rabbit holes regarding names. :) Or even just words in general. I find that stuff fascinating.

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