Evelyn

Where Evelyn comes from

From Middle English forms of the Old French female name Aveline, diminutive of the Germanic root *avi-, of uncertain meaning, possibly “desired, wished for“ (compare Latin avēre, "to wish for") or aval “strength”. By folk etymology also misunderstood as a diminutive of the feminine given name Eve, q.v. Doublet of Eileen. Also compare Ava.
— Wiktionary's entry for Evelyn
  • Germanic
  • 3 syllables
Along the way
  1. 1868
    Evelyn Beatrice Hall born
    English writer
  2. 1880
    First SSA year
    Already #133 among girls — 122 babies in the first year on record.
  3. 1903
    Evelyn Waugh born
    British writer and journalist
  4. 2024
    Peak, #8
    9,146 babies named Evelyn — more than any year before or since.
  5. 2024
    The comeback
    Back to #8 after sinking to #289 in 1977.
In the dictionary
  • A female given name from the Germanic languages.
  • A male given name transferred from the surname.
  • A place name:
  • A locality in Munising Township, Alger County, Michigan, United States.
  • A former unincorporated community in Wirt County, West Virginia, United States.
Namesakes
  • Evelyn Waugh · British writer and journalist, 1903–1966
  • Evelyn Beatrice Hall · English writer, 1868–1956
  • Evelyn Ashford · American sprinter, born 1957
  • Evelyn Glennie · Scottish percussionist and composer, born 1965
  • Evelyn De Morgan · Pre-Raphaelite artist (1993-, 1855–1919

Sources: the origin note and dictionary entry are quoted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0); the namesakes come from Wikidata (CC0); the milestones are worked out from the SSA record.