Given name & surname · also English
Evelyn
“a birdlike woman”·“a birdlike man”
Evelyn is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “a birdlike woman” (German) and “a birdlike man” (German). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Original GermanEva
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “a birdlike woman” (German) and “a birdlike man” (German). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Where it comes from
A possible origin is English, although the derivation remains uncertain.
How it developed
In English usage, Evelyn is a diminutive of Eve.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In English use, Evelyn is a diminutive of Eve. The history of Eve gives this family its wider story. Eve has a place in biblical naming traditions.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Evelyn through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 641,662
- 1,906 boys · 639,756 girls
- Most popular year
- 1921
- 14,308 babies
- 2025
- 9,131
- #8 for girls · #9,161 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −10%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 9,123 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 8 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 9.8% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 14,278 in 1921. It also appeared in 8 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (925). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 293,621 as a first name in 2020; 1,401 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Evelyn’s family of names
In English usage, Evelyn has a short form in Lyn. In English usage, Evelyn shares an earlier linguistic root with Eileen. In German usage, Evelyn has a related form in Eva.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Evelyn has relatives in 13 languages. Lines run from its German roots to each of them.
Nicknames & forms 24
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Evavariant · German
- Lilidiminutive · German
- Eviediminutive · English
- Evelynnvariant
- Evefull form · English
- Evelinavariant · English, Swedish
- Evalynvariant · English
- Evalinavariant
Show 16 moreShow fewer
- Evelinvariant · Hungarian, Estonian
- Evelynnevariant
- Evelynevariant
- Evelinevariant · English
- Evviediminutive · English
- Evalinevariant
- Lynshort form · English
- Evellynlikely variant
- Evlynnvariant
- Eveleenvariant · English
- Eveleanvariant
- Ewelinavariant · Polish
- Evaleenvariant
- Evelyynlikely variant
- Aibhilínvariant · Irish
- Evvariant · English
Across languages 12
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Eileendoublet · English
- Everlynequivalent
- Eveliinacognate · Finnish
- Евелинаequivalent
- ЭвелинRussian
- ИвлинRussian
- ÉvelyneFrench
- EvelínaCzech
Show 4 moreShow fewer
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Evelyn
- Evelyn Beatrice HallEnglish writer1868–1956
- Evelyn AshfordAmerican sprinterborn 1957
- Evelyn GlennieScottish percussionist and composer (born 1967)born 1965
- Evelyn De MorganPre-Raphaelite artist (1993- (1855–1919)
- Evelyn KeyesAmerican film actress (1916-2008)
- Evelyn Fox KellerAmerican physicist, author and feminist1936–2023
- Evelyn SharmaIndo-German actressborn 1989
- Evelyn BerezinAmerican computer scientist (1925–2018)
- Evelyn Wever-Croes4th Prime Minister of Aruba (born 1966)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Evelyn, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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