Evelyn
Evelyn is a girls' name of English origin meaning “wished for child, life.” It ranked #9 in the United States in 2025. Evelyn began as a surname and was used for boys before becoming predominantly feminine.
how do you pronounce Evelyn?
EV-eh-lin
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Evelyn mean?
The name Evelyn means “wished for child, life.” It comes from the English language tradition.
Evelyn began as a surname and was used for boys before becoming predominantly feminine. It has been remarkably stable in the top 10 since 2017, embodying the vintage charm that modern parents adore.
where does the name Evelyn come from?
From the Norman French Aveline, a diminutive of Ava, which reached England after the Conquest and later hardened into a surname. The modern given name is a return journey: the surname was revived as a first name, so Evelyn is a name that became a surname and then became a name again.
the history of Evelyn
For most of its life Evelyn was masculine in Britain — the diarist John Evelyn, and the novelist Evelyn Waugh, whose first wife was also called Evelyn. The feminine use overtook it in the United States during the early twentieth century, and after a long dormancy the name returned emphatically, entering the American top ten in the 2010s.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2024 | #9 |
| 2023 | #9 |
| 2022 | #9 |
| 2021 | #9 |
| 2020 | #9 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
what are the nicknames and variants of Evelyn?
Nicknames
Variants around the world
who are famous people named Evelyn?
- Evelyn Waugh (English novelist)
- Evelyn Hugo (The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo)
- Evelyn Glennie (Scottish percussionist)
what names are similar to Evelyn?
what names go well with Evelyn?
Sibling names that share Evelyn's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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