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Evans is the surname of a Muggle family. They must have had some distant magical blood.[1] At least one member, Lily Evans, was a Muggle-born witch. They are related by marriage to the wizarding Potter and Weasley families.
History
The earliest known members of the family were Mr and Mrs Evans, who had two daughters, Petunia and Lily Evans. They lived near Spinner's End in Cokeworth, sharing residence with the Snape family.[2] Lily's parents were Muggles, as was her sister Petunia.
Mr and Mrs Evans were proud of their younger daughter being a witch and appeared to have favoured her over their elder daughter because of it.
They were related to the Dursley family through Petunia's marriage to Vernon Dursley, and the Potter family through Lily's marriage to James Potter.
They were famous for being Harry Potter's maternal family, and were known in the wizarding world for Lily's loving sacrifice that saved Harry from Lord Voldemort when he was just an infant.
This family is extinct in the male line, but not in the female line. When Harry married Ginny Weasley, they became related to the Weasley family through their three children, James Sirius, Albus Severus, and Lily Luna. Petunia's son Dudley Dursley had at least two children as well.
Family members
Main family
| Person | Notes |
|---|---|
| Lily Potter
(née Evans) |
Muggle-born witch who was sorted into Gryffindor House at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry; younger sister of Petunia, wife of James Potter, and mother of Harry Potter |
| Petunia Dursley
(née Evans) |
Muggle; older sister of Lily, wife of Vernon Dursley, and mother of Dudley Dursley |
| Mr Evans | Muggles; parents of Petunia and Lily Evans |
| Mrs Evans |
Evans relatives
| Person | Notes |
|---|---|
| Lily Luna Potter | Blood relative and youngest child of Harry and Ginny Potter |
| Albus Severus Potter | Blood relative and middle child, second son of Harry and Ginny Potter |
| James Sirius Potter | Blood relative and oldest son of Harry and Ginny Potter |
| Dursley children | Children of Dudley and his wife |
| Ginevra Molly Potter (née Weasley) | Related through marriage, wife of Harry Potter, and mother of James, Albus, and Lily |
| Harry James Potter | Blood relative, son of James and Lily Potter, husband of Ginny, and father of James, Albus, and Lily Potter |
| Dudley Dursley | Blood relative and son of Vernon and Petunia Dudley |
| James Potter | Related through marriage, husband of Lily, and father of Harry Potter |
| Vernon Dursley | Related through marriage, husband of Petunia, and father to Dudley Dursley |
Etymology
Evans is a Welsh or English surname derived from the given name Evan.[3] As a Welsh name, Evan means "young warrior;" it can also be considered a form of the name John, meaning "God is gracious."[4]
Both sisters in the Evans family, Lily and Petunia, are named after flowers.
Behind the scenes
- Mark Evans is not related to the family.[5]
- Lucy Evans is not related to the family.
- When Harry looked in the Mirror of Erised and saw his maternal and paternal family, he saw people with the same almond shaped green eyes as he had[6]. It is known that he inherited them from his mother, Lily Evans, making it likely that it is an Evans family trait.
- Interestingly, the etymology of the Evans family is "young warrior". This could tie with Harry Potter, the son of Lily Evans.
- J. K. Rowling has explained that, when she was looking for a maiden name for Lily, she chose Evans "on the basis that it’d been George Eliot’s real name."[7] As for the case of Mark Evans, Rowling stated that she chose this surname - without giving it much thought - simply due to it being a common name, expressing similar feelings about "Smith" and "Jones", as well as "Black", "Thomas", and "Brown", which were given to other significant characters.[8]
- In the films, the Evans family are played by the following actors:
- Lily Potter (née Evans) is played by Geraldine Somerville in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and Part 2.
The 15 year old Lily Evans was played in a deleted scene by Susie Shinner in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and the 11 year old Lily Evans was played by Ellie Darcey-Alden in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. - James Potter is played by Adrian Rawlins in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and Part 2.
The 15 year old James Potter I was played by Robbie Jarvis in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and the 11 year old James Potter I was played by Alfie McIlwain in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. - Harry Potter is played by Daniel Radcliffe in all of the films.
Baby Harry Potter was played by the Saunders triplets in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and by Toby Papworth in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. - Ginny Potter (née Weasley) is played by Bonnie Wright in all of the films.
- James Sirius Potter is played by Will Dunn in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
- Albus Severus Potter is played by Arthur Bowen in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
- Lily Luna Potter is played by Daphne de Beistegui in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
- Petunia Dursley (née Evans) is played by Fiona Shaw in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.
The teenager Petunia Evans was played by Ariella Paradise in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. - Vernon Dursley is played by Richard Griffiths in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.
- Dudley Dursley is played by Harry Melling in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.
- Lily Potter (née Evans) is played by Geraldine Somerville in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and Part 2.
Notes and references
- ↑ 30 July 2007 Bloomsbury Webchat with J.K. Rowling
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
- ↑ Behind the Name: Evans
- ↑ Behind the Name: Evan
- ↑ J.K.Rowling Official Site F.A.Q.
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 12 (The Mirror of Erised) - "They just looked at him, smiling. And slowly, Harry looked into the faces of the other people in the mirror, and saw other pairs of green eyes like his"
- ↑ 28 August, 2012 "Daniel Radcliffe talks to J.K. Rowling: EXCLUSIVE VIDEO" Entertainment Weekly
- ↑ F.A.Q. question at J. K. Rowling's official site (archived)