girl's name
Evelyn
EV-uh-lin
- Origin English
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 100 (US)
- Births on record 686,736
the United States
#8
2025 births
Evelyn is a girl's name of English and French origin meaning "desired" or "wished for". It began life as the surname Aveline, a Norman French form brought to England after the Conquest, and only became a first name in the seventeenth century.
- Evelyn is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 1921, when 14,308 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- Today about 1 in 363 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Evelyn over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,817 |
| 1890s | 5,648 |
| 1900s | 18,684 |
| 1910s | 91,710 |
| 1920s | 124,521 |
| 1930s | 69,711 |
| 1940s | 48,330 |
| 1950s | 38,556 |
| 1960s | 22,683 |
| 1970s | 10,031 |
| 1980s | 11,111 |
| 1990s | 15,206 |
| 2000s | 40,800 |
| 2010s | 87,075 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 55,779 |
What Evelyn means
Evelyn carries the sense of something longed for. The root traces to the Old French Aveline, a diminutive of Ava, which linguists connect to a Germanic element meaning desired or wished for. A competing reading links it to the Latin avis, meaning bird, though this is now considered less likely.
Where Evelyn comes from
Evelyn arrived in England as the Norman French surname Aveline, itself a diminutive of the Germanic name Ava. Norman scribes recorded it in the Domesday Book, and over several centuries the surname drifted into use as a given name for both boys and girls among the English aristocracy. The diarist John Evelyn, born in 1620, is the best known male bearer. By the Victorian period the name had shifted decisively toward girls in both Britain and America, and the male usage faded almost entirely by the middle of the twentieth century.
Evelyn in use
Evelyn is unusual in having been a genuine unisex name for centuries before settling as feminine.
How popular is Evelyn?
In 2025, Evelyn was given to 9,131 babies in the United States, ranking #8 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
Where Evelyn is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Evelyn
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Evelyn also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Evelyn over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
3 nicknames for Evelyn
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Evelyn in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Evelyn
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Evelyn — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Evelyn
What does the name Evelyn mean?
Evelyn means desired or wished for, from the Old French Aveline.
Is Evelyn a boy's or a girl's name?
Evelyn was used for both for centuries and is now given almost entirely to girls.
How do you pronounce Evelyn?
Most commonly EV-uh-lin in British and American English.
How popular is the name Evelyn?
In 2025, Evelyn was given to 9,131 babies in the United States, ranking #8 that year. It is one of the most popular names in the United States.
How many syllables are in Evelyn?
Evelyn has 3 syllables.
When was Evelyn most popular?
Evelyn peaked in 1921, when 14,308 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
What are the nicknames for Evelyn?
Evelyn is usually shortened to Evie, Eve and Lyn.
Is Evelyn a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Evelyn currently ranks #8 in the United States. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.