Girl name origins & meanings
- English: Hazelnut; variation of Eve
What does Evelyn mean and stand for?
Originally used as a surname, Evelyn, meaning "wished for child", has English name origins and roots. Evelyn comes from Aveline, a feminine Norman French diminutive of the name Ava."
Syllables: 3
Discover more baby name meanings to learn what's behind every name.
Family name origins & meanings
- English: from the Middle English, Old French female personal name Aveline, a double diminutive of the Germanic personal name Avo, from the element avi, perhaps meaning ‘desired’, ‘wished for’.
Popularity of Evelyn
According to Social Security Administration data, Evelyn has been in use as a baby girl name since the 1800s, but it did not make its way back in to the top ten rankings until 2017. It has been consistently popular remaining in the top 200 names since 2000.
However, it is the 33rd most popular name on FamilyEducation.com.
According to Google search data analysis, in the last five years, Evelyn was at its peak popularity in April 2017.
While the name Evelyn has been around for centuries, it was often used as a boy’s name in its former years. Evelyn may have seen a recent rise in popularity thanks to stars like Evelyn Lozada, reality star of Basketball Wives and model, and celebs who have given this name to their children like Bruce Willis and Carey Mulligan.
Where Is the Name Evelyn Popular?
Nicknames for Evelyn
- Ev
- Evie
- Evy
