Evelyn
2025 SSA
2025 SSA
About Evelyn
After decades of disuse, soft and feminine Evelyn has returned to the baby name stage in a huge way. It reached the Top 10 for the first time in 2017. Evelyn has now surpassed its former heights, joining a legion of contemporary little Evas, Avas, Eves, Evies, and Evelines.
Evelyn for girls#8 US
Evelyn derives from the French feminine given name Aveline, which is from an obscure Germanic root which may mean "desired, wished for" or "water, island". The name Aveline was brought over to England by the Normans, but it first became popular as a masculine name – a transferred use of the surname Evelyn, which comes from the same source. Variations include Evaline, Evalyn, Evelin, and Eveline.
Formerly a predominantly masculine name, its most famous bearer is writer Evelyn (EEV-lin) Waugh. (Trivia note: Evelyn Waugh was married to a woman named Evelyn, and they were known as 'He-velyn" and "She-velyn'.) Its quiet persona was reversed with the character Evelyn Salt, played by Angelina Jolie. Bruce Willis chose it for his fifth daughter and Carey Mulligan used it for hers.
Evelyn for boys#9161 US
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".
Pronounced EV-uh-lin; EEV-lin.
As of October 2026, Evelyn ranked #8 in US births in 2025 SSA, Nameberry popularity #17.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · girls | Births · girls | US rank · boys | Births · boys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #16 | 8,753 | — | 0 |
| 2015 | #15 | 9,376 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | #12 | 10,116 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | #9 | 10,747 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | #10 | 10,432 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | #10 | 10,441 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | #9 | 9,516 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | #9 | 9,489 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | #9 | 9,330 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | #9 | 9,113 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | #8 | 9,116 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | #8 | 9,123 | — | 0 |
World rankings
Evelyn for girls
Evelyn for boys
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Evelyn on lists
Famous Evelyns
- Evelyn AshfordGirl
American Olympic sprinter
- Evelyn Margaret AyGirl
Miss America 1954
- Evelyn Louise KeyesGirl
American actress
- Evelyn Brent (born Mary Elizabeth Riggs)Girl
American actress
- Evelyn "Champagne" KingGirl
American R&B singer
- Evelyn Elizabeth Ann GlennieGirl
Scottish percussionist
- Evelyn Beatrice LongmanGirl
American sculptor
- (Florence) Evelyn NesbitGirl
American model; wife of architect Stanford White
- Ellen Lucille "Evelyn" ThomasGirl
American disco singer
- Evelyn StevensGirl
American cyclist
- Evelyn LozadaGirl
American reality television personality ("Basketball Wives")
- Evelyn MurphyGirl
67th Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
- Evelyn WardGirl
American actress; mother of singer David Cassidy
- Evelyn M. WitkinGirl
American geneticist
- Evelyn LearGirl
American operatic soprano
- Evelyn MaseGirl
first wife of Nelson Mandela
- (Elsie) Evelyn LayeGirl
English actress
- Evelyn García (Marroquín)Girl
Salvadoran cyclist
- Evelyn O'RourkeGirl
Irish broadcaster
- Evelyn VerrasztóGirl
Hungarian Olympic swimmer
- Evelyn Lee Marie "Everlyn" SampiGirl
Australian actress
- Evelyn KnightGirl
known for her involvement in the Abscam sting operation
- Evelyn KnightGirl
American pop singer
- Evelyn Francis McHaleGirl
American subject of a 1947 photograph depicting "the most beautiful suicide"
- Evelyn McGeeGirl
Colbert, wife of TV personality Stephen Colbert
- Evelyn Day Bentley (b. 2008)Girl
daughter of singer Dierks Bentley & Cassidy Black
- Evelyn Gabel (b. 2009)Girl
daughter of singer Laura Jane Grace & Heather Hannoura
- Evelyn TierneyGirl
daughter of actors Indira Varma and Colin Tierney
- Evelyn Morneau (b. 2010)Girl
son of baseball player Justin Morneau
- Evelyn Penn Willis (b. 2014)Girl
daughter of actor Bruce Willis
- Evelyn Grace Mumford (b. 2015)Girl
daughter of singer Marcus Mumford and actress Carey Mulligan
- Evelyn Renee Flacco (b. 2016)Girl
daughter of NFL player Joe Flacco
- Evelyn Mae Forsyth (b. 2020)Girl
daughter of reality tv personalities Joy Anna Duggar and Austin Forsyth of “Counting On”
- (Arthur) Evelyn St. John WaughBoy
English novelist
- Evelyn Robert Adrian de RothschildBoy
English financier
- Evelyn LeightonBoy
son of British author Marie Leighton, brother to poet Roland Leighton and artist Claire Leighton
- Richard Evelyn ByrdBoy
American naval officer and explorer
Evelyn in pop culture
- Evelyn RobinGirl
character in "Winnie,the,Pooh" series
- Evelyn MulwrayGirl
character in 1974 film "Chinatown"
- Evelyn SaltGirl
main character in film "Salt"
- Evelyn SmytheGirl
audio companion of the Sixth Doctor from Doctor Who
- EvelynGirl
character in film "The Ring 2"
- Evelyn "Evie" CarnahanGirl
character in film "The Mummy"
- Evelyn GardenerGirl
character in film "A League of Their Own"
- Evelyn JohnsonGirl
a main character in 2004 film "Pearl Harbor"
- Evelyn EatonGirl
character in the Divergent Trilogy
- Evelyn HarperGirl
character on TV's 'Two and a Half Men'
- Evelyn VogelGirl
character on TV's "Dexter"
- Evelyn "Button" PetersGirl
main character in"The Book of Bright Ideas" by Sandra Kring
- Evelyn PeerbaughGirl
character in the 'Sister Circle' series
- Evelyn CouchGirl
character in Fannie Flagg's "Fried Green Tomatoes"
- Evelyn "Eva" LelandGirl
character in the Elsie Dinsmore series
- Evelyn "Artemis" SharpGirl
Character from DC Television Universe's "Arrow"
- Evelyn FerrarsGirl
mother of Juliette Ferrars from Tahereh Mafi's "Shatter me" trilogy
- Crabtree and EvelynBoth
retailer of bath and body products
- Evelyn DeavorGirl
character in "Incredibles 2"
- Evelyn and Evelyn NevilleGirl
fictional conjoined twin sisters portrayed by Amanda Palmer and Jason Webley as a musical duo
- Evelyn HugoGirl
main character of "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo"
- Evelyn ParkerGirl
character in the video game "Cyberpunk 2077"
- Evelyn MullnerGirl
character in the video game "Stardew Valley"
- Theodore Evelyn "Ted" MosbyBoy
character on TV's "How I Met Your Mother"
- Evelyn NapierBoy
suitor of Lady Mary Crawley on TV's "Downton Abbey"
- Evelyn SaderBoy
character in children's book series "The School for Good and Evil"