Evelyn
EEV-lin; EV-uh-lin
English
"desired; or water, island"
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Evelyn Origin and Meaning
The name Evelyn is a boy's name of English origin meaning "desired; or water, island".
Renowned English author Evelyn Waugh pronounced his name "EEV-lin" (fun fact: his first wife, also named Evelyn, was referred to as "She-velyn"). But "EV-uh-lin" also works, and is probably the most familiar pronunciation of the name today.
It may be a Top 10 pick for girls right now, but in the 17th century, it was given more often to boys – as a surname name originally derived from the Norman given name Aveline. It was especially popular among the upper classes, where family surnames as given names were well used.
Evelyn relates to the Norman French female name Aveline, the origins of which are not entirely clear. Theories include "desired" and "water, island".
- Evelyn Rank in US Top 1000
- Evelyn Rank in Nameberry Top 1000
- Names Similar to Evelyn
- Famous People Named Evelyn
- The name Evelyn in Pop Culture
- International Variations of the name Evelyn
- The name Evelyn in Nameberry Blog Posts
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# 960 in the US
Evelyn Rank in US Top 1000
# 400 on Nameberry
Evelyn Rank in Nameberry Top 1000
Popularity of the name Evelyn
- 400Nameberry2025
20 Names Similar to Evelyn
These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Evelyn.
Famous People Named Evelyn
- (Arthur) Evelyn St. John WaughEnglish novelist
- Evelyn Robert Adrian de RothschildEnglish financier
- Evelyn Leightonson of British author Marie Leighton, brother to poet Roland Leighton and artist Claire Leighton
- Richard Evelyn ByrdAmerican naval officer and explorer
The name Evelyn in Pop Culture
- Theodore Evelyn "Ted" Mosbycharacter on TV's "How I Met Your Mother"
- Evelyn Napiersuitor of Lady Mary Crawley on TV's "Downton Abbey"
- Crabtree and Evelynretailer of bath and body products
- Evelyn Sadercharacter in children's book series "The School for Good and Evil"
International Variations of the name Evelyn
- Eviehebrew, "life"
The name Evelyn in Nameberry Blog Posts
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