Evelyn
Evelyn was the 8th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 9,123 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 7 places. More babies were named Evelyn in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Germanic
Say it EV-uh-lin /ˈɛvəlɪn/
- Rank in 2025
- #8 girls, up 1 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 9,123girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 192114,278 babies
- Total since 1880
- 641,662babies recorded
What does the name Evelyn mean?
Evelyn comes, through Middle English, from the Old French woman's name Aveline. Aveline was a pet form built on a Germanic element, avi-, whose meaning is uncertain; suggestions include 'desired'. It was later also an English surname and was used for boys. People often take it to be a pet form of Eve, but Wiktionary calls this a folk etymology.
*avi- (Proto-Germanic (reconstructed), “uncertain; possibly 'desired, wished for'”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. The meaning of the Germanic element avi- is unknown.
Other explanations you may read: A diminutive of Eve.
See also: Germanic names.
Nicknames for Evelyn
The usual nicknames for Evelyn are Evie, Eve and Ev. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Evelyn in the last five years, 12 were named Evie, against 3 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evie · also for Evelina, Everly, Eva | Traditional | #270 | 5,688 |
| Eve | Traditional | #519 | 2,803 |
| Ev · also for Everett | Modern | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Evelyns go by each one.
Evelyn popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 1,906 since 1900, 8 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #8 | 9,123 |
| 2020 | #9 | 9,517 |
| 2010 | #39 | 5,843 |
| 2000 | #150 | 2,223 |
| 1990 | #220 | 1,302 |
| 1980 | #288 | 861 |
| 1970 | #216 | 1,466 |
| 1960 | #137 | 3,219 |
| 1950 | #86 | 4,275 |
| 1940 | #48 | 4,982 |
| 1930 | #19 | 9,536 |
| 1920 | #12 | 13,838 |
| 1910 | #17 | 3,777 |
| 1900 | #70 | 1,116 |
| 1890 | #125 | 316 |
| 1880 | #133 | 122 |
How popular is Evelyn, counting every spelling?
Evelyn is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #10 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #8 for Evelyn on its own. Together these spellings went to 10,364 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evelyn | 9,123 | #8 | 46,217 |
| Evelynn | 1,012 | #301 | 4,992 |
| Evelin | 86 | #2,159 | 465 |
| Evelynne | 52 | #3,115 | 237 |
| Evelyne | 42 | #3,598 | 185 |
| Eveline | 36 | #4,011 | 153 |
| Evellyn | 8 | #11,252 | 30 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Evelyn?
9,123 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Evelyn (2.53 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Evelyn born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 21. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, a typical elementary school of 430 pupils would have about 1.1 children named Evelyn.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Evelyn?
About 309,200 people born in the US named Evelyn are alive today, with a median age of 19; half are between 9 and 65. That makes Evelyn mostly worn by children and young adults. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Evelyn by state
How common Evelyn was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Wyoming (4.2×), Vermont (3.6×), Maine (2.8×), Alaska (2.8×), North Dakota (2.7×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New Jersey, Florida, New York.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Evelyn: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Evelyn, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Evelyn
What does Evelyn mean?
The origin of Evelyn is uncertain: the meaning of the Germanic element avi- is unknown.
How popular is the name Evelyn?
Evelyn was the 8th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 9,123 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 7 places. More babies were named Evelyn in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Evelyn a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Evelyn in the US.
Where is Evelyn most popular?
In 2021–2025, Evelyn was most common in Wyoming (24.16 per 1,000 girls), followed by Vermont and Maine.