Evelyn Baby girl name meaning, origin, and popularity

Two theories exist about the origin of the name Evelyn. Some say it started off as a last name that derives from the French surname Aveline. But others say Evelyn is a portmanteau of Eve (meaning "alive" in Hebrew) and Lynn (meaning "lake" in Welsh). Whatever the origin, Evelyn has been a favorite among parents for hundreds of years.

Aveline, which Evelyn is thought to have derived from, itself is derived from the feminine name Ava, a medieval Germanic name that doesn't have a clear meaning. Aveline also means "hazelnut" in modern French.

Interestingly, Evelyn was originally a name given to boys. This strongly supports the last-name theory of Evelyn, given that parents probably weren't naming their sons a combination of the names Eve and Lynn. It remained popular for boys until the early 1900s – right around when the name started gaining more popularity for girls. By the mid-1900s, girls named Evelyn officially outnumbered boys with the name.

Evelyn has been in the top 500 most popular names for girls since at least 1900, according to the Social Security Administration. It's spent most of the past century in the top 100 names – the most notable dip being between the 1950s and early 2000s. It's been on the rise since 2002, though, even breaking into the top 10 for the first time in 2017 and peaking at number 9 in 2020.

BabyCenter parents love the name, too: It has ranked in the top 20 most popular girl's names since 2019.

The most popular spelling variation of Evelyn in the U.S. is Evelynn, though many alternate spellings exist. And there are plenty of nickname opportunities, including Eve, Evie, and Lynn.

Regardless of where it came from, Evelyn has proved to be an enduringly popular name. It's one of many old-fashioned names making a comeback in modern times, and its timeless nature is sure to charm parents for decades to come.