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ArchivesRe: The name Draven comes from :
in reply to a message by Wendy
20000-Names.com suggests that the name Draven could be derived from Olde English "drǽfend", meaning 'hunter'. As a common word, "draven" is from the Dutch denoting "to trot" and "to creep".
BehindTheName.com acknowledges the utilizing of this surname in the film The Crow whose protagonist is called Eric Draven, stating a lack of insight into its etymology & history. In the graphic novel from which the film takes its source material, Eric's surname (while never directly stated) begins with an initial which could be either "D", "C" or "O"; it ends in an "s"; thus for all the reader knows, this mystery name could be anything from Corvis to Orpheus. It was screenwriter John Shirley who actually came-up with the name of "Draven" for the film's main character, not taking it from contemporary usage but rather *inventing* it from the word-combination "driven" & "raven" (the latter being synonymous with "crow") --a factoid noted by Crow creator James O'Barr himself.
Though where the surname is concerned outside of Hollywood cinema and ancient folklore, there's alot of people in everyday life with the last name of Draven.
BehindTheName.com acknowledges the utilizing of this surname in the film The Crow whose protagonist is called Eric Draven, stating a lack of insight into its etymology & history. In the graphic novel from which the film takes its source material, Eric's surname (while never directly stated) begins with an initial which could be either "D", "C" or "O"; it ends in an "s"; thus for all the reader knows, this mystery name could be anything from Corvis to Orpheus. It was screenwriter John Shirley who actually came-up with the name of "Draven" for the film's main character, not taking it from contemporary usage but rather *inventing* it from the word-combination "driven" & "raven" (the latter being synonymous with "crow") --a factoid noted by Crow creator James O'Barr himself.
Though where the surname is concerned outside of Hollywood cinema and ancient folklore, there's alot of people in everyday life with the last name of Draven.
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Replies
What is the basis for your saying "there's a lot of people in everyday life with the last name Draven"? The Social Security Death Index in the USA has only _seven_ records for people with the surname Draven, so few that some of those may be misprints for other names. The great majority of references to people with the surname Draven I can find on the web are to actors or authors who only become known AFTER The Crow movie was released. Every single one of the 11 actors and actresses in The Internet Movie Database whose surname is Draven have film credits that start in 1999 or later. I believe Draven is a stage name for all of them, not a name they were born with.
There may be a very few people who had Draven as a bona fide surname before the film, though it must be a very rare surname in everyday life. But it is quite clear that the use of Draven as a given name for boys in the USA comes from the film, so as to the etymology of the given name, "modern creation combining the words 'driven' & 'raven'" is the origin. The idea that it has any connection with either the Old English or Dutch words is silly, and is an example of people searching through dictionaries and simply assuming that a word which resembles a newly popular name is its orgin without having any evidence for this.
There may be a very few people who had Draven as a bona fide surname before the film, though it must be a very rare surname in everyday life. But it is quite clear that the use of Draven as a given name for boys in the USA comes from the film, so as to the etymology of the given name, "modern creation combining the words 'driven' & 'raven'" is the origin. The idea that it has any connection with either the Old English or Dutch words is silly, and is an example of people searching through dictionaries and simply assuming that a word which resembles a newly popular name is its orgin without having any evidence for this.
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