The name Even Jolon

In short, both names mean "stone" (a reference to strength of character) and "fortunate".

The name Even

There are two etymologies (/meanings) we're aware of for the name Even:

• Hebrew אבן (Tiberian [ˈɛvɛn]), "stone"
  implying strong character
  • More information on meaning and etymology
  • Also spelled Eben (notable people named Eben)

• Norwegian Even, "gift winner"
  implying being fortunate
  • (notable people named Even)

There is also the Even language, which is pretty cool.

This is not the same as the Celtic name Evan/Ewen/Eòghan, but is pronounced the same in English.

The name Jolon

The Kyrgyz name Jolon (Жолон, pronounced [ʤɔˈɫɔn]) is fairly rare. Besides a couple notable figures bearing the name, not much is known about its history. The Kazakh version is Jolan (Жолан), but we are not aware of definite equivalents in other languages.

• Potential etymologies:
  • Borrowing of the Mongolian name Chuluun (Halh Чулуун, Kalmyk Чолун), from Middle Mongolian čilaɣun, meaning "stone". (Suggested in Шамсабек Акылбеков's book on Chyngys Khan.)
  • From the Turkic word jol (Kyrgyz/Kazakh жол, Turkish yol), meaning "road, path, way". There are two sub-etymologies:
    • This word is used in a number of expressions about luck and fortune, probably the most basic of which is Kyrgyz жолу бол- (literally, "for someone's path to exist"), meaning basically "to be fortunate" (e.g., "жолум болду", literally "my path existed", meaning "I lucked out / I was fortunate"). Also Kyrgyz жолдуу, literally "having a path", means "fortunate". So Jolon would be some unknown morphological formation of this word, meaning "fortunate"
    • According to one source, the famous Kazakh Jolan (see below) was named this way because he was born when his parents were travelling ("on the road"). Again, the formation would be morphologically curious.
  • Also there is an Uzbek name "Javlon" of apparently Persian origin (Jawlān) that might be the origin of the names of the notable people below. It seems to mean either "lively/mischievous" or "elegant/graceful" (different sources say different things).

• Notable people
  • Jolon Mamytov, a Kyrgyz aqyn
  • Jolan batyr, an 18th century Kazakh ambassador to China, and a younger (perhaps the youngest?) son of the famous Kazakh biy, Töle Biy

• Other Jolons:
  • There is a Jolon, California, Spanish spelling (i.e., pronounced /xolon/), potentially from an Ohlone(?) word meaning valley of dead trees. It's also the name of the setting of Steinbeck's To a God Unknown.
  • Jolon Clark, a Colorado politican.