Evelyn is a matronymic English surname derived from the medieval girl's name Aveline (which is of Norman origin and represents a diminutive form of Ava). Since the 17th century, it has also been used as a given name. The earliest recorded bearer was Evelyn Pierrepont (d. 1726), who was a grandson of the Roundhead politician Sir John Evelyn. The family subsequently used the name for both male and female children, including Pierrepont's third daughter.
The English census of 1841 listed 84 Evelyns, half male and half female. By 1851, there were 88 male and 196 female Evelyns. On the other side of the Atlantic, the 1850 United States census listed 53 male and 310 female Evelyns. The name has continued to be predominantly feminine since.
The name jumped in popularity in 1907 due to the influence of Evelyn Nesbit, the first "supermodel", whose husband Harry Kendall Thaw murdered Stanford White in 1906 over his alleged sexual assault of Nesbit. The publicized trial and Nesbit's subsequent fame caused Evelyn to become the 10th most popular name for girls in the US in 1915. It remained within the top 50 into the 1940s, but had dropped to 287th by 1980. The 1981 movie Ragtime, which featured Evelyn Nesbit as a character, brought the name renewed attention. Evelyn became a popular girls' name again in the 21st century, becoming 8th most popular in the US in 2024 and 13th most popular in England and Wales in 2023. Notable Evelyns in modern popular culture include Rachel Weisz's character in the 1999 movie The Mummy (based on Lady Evelyn Herbert, the first woman to enter Tutankhamun's tomb) and Kate Beckinsale's character in the 2001 movie Pearl Harbor.
In some cases, the given name may represent an anglicized form of the Irish names Aibhilín and Éibhleann. The former is also a descendant of Aveline, while the latter is said to derive from the Old Irish óiph ("beauty, radiance").
People with this first name
Women
Evelyn Anderson (dancer) (1907–1994), American dancer Evelyn M. Anderson (1899–1985), American physiologist and biochemist Evelyn Ankers (1918–1985), American actress Evelyn Ashford (born 1957), America female sprinter, gold medalist of the women's 100 meters running during the 1984 Summer Olympics Evelyn Aswad (fl. 1990s–2020s), American legal scholar and professor at the University of Oklahoma College of Law Evelyn Margaret Ay (1933–2008), American beauty pageant winner (Miss America, 1954) Evelyn Bargelt (1877–1957), American entertainer and portrait artist Evelyn Vida Baxter (1879–1959), Scottish ornithologist Lady Evelyn Beauchamp, (1901–1980), daughter of 5th Earl of Carnarvon and one of the first in people in modern times to enter Tutankhamun's tomb Evelyn Berezin (1925–2018), American computer designer best known for designing the first computer-driven word processor Evelyn Bonaci (1916–2008), Maltese politician Evelyn Booth (1897–1988), Irish botanist Evelyn Brent (1901–1975), American film and stage actress Evelyn Campbell (actress) (1868 – ?), British-born American actress Evelyn Carow (born 1931), German movie editor Evelyn Carrera (born 1971), Dominican Republic volleyball player Evelyn Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (1870–1960) Evelyn Cheesman (1882–1969), British entomologist and traveller Evelyn Colon (1961–1976), formerly unidentified American homicide victim Evelyn Colyer (1902–1930), British tennis player Evelyn Connor, American politician Evelyn Y. Davis (1929–2018), American activist shareholder Evelyn Magruder DeJarnette (1842–1914), American author Evelyn De Morgan (1855–1919), English Pre-Raphaelite painter Evelyn de Soysa (1893–1973), third woman member of Senate of Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka) Evelyn Dick (1920-unknown), Canadian convicted murderer Evelyn Dove (1902–1987), British singer and actress Evelyn Everett-Green (1856–1932), English novelist Evelyn Finley (1916–1989), American actress and stuntwoman Evelyn Furtsch (1914–2015), American sprinter Evelyn Gandy (1920–2007), American Lieutenant Governor of the state of Mississippi Evelyn García (born 1982), Salvadorian cyclist Evelyn Gardner (1903–1994), English aristocrat and socialite, and first wife of Evelyn Waugh Evelyn Gigantes (1942–2026), Canadian politician and Cabinet Minister Evelyn Glennie (born 1965), Scottish virtuoso percussionist who has been deaf since age 12 Evelyn Gleeson (1855–1944), English embroidery, carpet, and tapestry designer Evelyn Beatrice Hall (1868–1956), English writer and biographer of Voltaire Evelyn Hamann (1942–2007), German actress Evelyn Hart (born 1956), Canadian ballerina and principal dancer of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet Evelyn Hartley (born 1938), American woman who has been missing since 1953 Evelyn Hatch (1871–1951), English muse of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson Evelyn Holt (1908–2001), German film actress Evelyn Hooker (1907–1996), American psychologist most noted for her studies on homosexuality Evelyn Hoskins (born 1988), British actress Evelyn Bryan Johnson (1909–2012), American pilot with a world record number of flying hours Evelyn Keyes (1916–2008), American actress most noted for her role as Suellen O'Hara in the 1939 film Gone with the Wind Evelyn "Champagne" King (born 1960), American R&B and disco singer Evelyn Künneke (1921–2001), German singer and actress Evelyn Lau (born 1971), Chinese-Canadian poet and novelist Evelyn Laye (1900–1996), British theatre actress Evelyn Lear (1926–2012), American soprano and opera singer Evelyn Lincoln (1909–1995), personal secretary to John F. Kennedy from his election to the Senate in 1953 until his 1963 assassination Evelyn Beatrice Longman (1874–1954), American sculptor elected as a full member of the National Academy of Design Evelyn Mase (1922–2004), South African nurse and first wife of Nelson Mandela Evelyn Matthei (born 1953), Chilean politician, former Minister of Labor and candidate for President of Chile in 2013 Evelyn McHale (1923–1947), American bookkeeper, subject of an iconic photograph showing her body after she jumped from an observation platform of the Empire State Building
Evelyn Mora (born 1992), Finnish entrepreneur Evelyn Nesbit (1884–1967), American model noted for her entanglement in the murder of her ex-lover by her first husband Evelyn Paul (1883–1963), British illustrator Evelyn Pope (1908–1995), American librarian Evelyn Preer (1896–1932), African-American actress and blues singer Evelyn Reed (1905–1979), leading member of the American Socialist Workers Party and women's rights agitator Evelyn Regner (born 1966), Austrian Member of the European Parliament Evelyn Sandberg-Vavalà (1888–1961) also known as Evelyn May Graham Sandberg or Evelyn Kendrew, art historian Evelyn Schötz (born 1961), German politician Evelyn Sears (1875–1966), American tennis player Evelyn Selbie (1871–1950), American actress Evelyn Sharma (born 1986), German-Indian actress and model Evelyn Šilina (born 2001), Estonian footballer Evelyn Stevens (cyclist) (born 1983), American road cyclist Evelyn Strang (1867–1954), Australian temperance leader and suffragist Evelyn Greenleaf Sutherland (1855–1908), American journalist, author and playwright Evelyn Thomas (1953–2024), American disco singer Evelyn Tubb (born 1954), English soprano and long-time member of The Consort of Musicke Evelyn Underhill (1875–1941), English writer on mysticism and metaphysical poet Evelyn Valdez-Ward, scientist, science communicator, adjunct professor, and immigration activist living in the U.S. Evelyn van Leeuwen (born 1972), Dutch wheelchair basketball player Evelyn Varden (1893–1958), American character actress Evelyn Verrasztó (born 1989), Hungarian swimmer Evelyn Svec Ward (1921–1989), American fiber artist Evelyn Wells (1899–1984), American biographer, especially of the ancient Egyptian royals Evelyn Whitaker (1844–1929), English children's writer Evelyn Prescott Wiggin (1900–1964), American mathematician and university professor Evelyn Williams (artist) (1929–2012), British artist Evelyn Williamson (born 1971), New Zealand triathlon athlete Evelyn M. Witkin (1921–2023), American geneticist Evelyn Wood (teacher) (1909–1995), American advocate of speed reading Evelyn Young (19151983), American film actress Evelyn Zangger (born 1980), Swiss singer-songwriter
Female variants Eveleen Eveleen Laura Mason (1838–1914), American writer Eveleen Myers (1856–1937), English photographer Eveleen O'Brien (1901–1981), Irish psychiatrist Eveleen Mary Weldon Severn (1882–1942), American philatelist
Evelien Evelien Bosmans (born 1989), Belgian actress Evelien Gerrits (born 1985), Dutch cricketer Evelien Koogje (born 1959), Dutch rower
Evelin Evelin Hagoel (born 1961), Israeli actress Evelin Ilves (born 1968), former First Lady of Estonia Evelin Jahl (born 1956), German discus thrower Evelin Lanthaler (born 1991), Italian luger Evelin Lindner (born 1954), German-Norwegian medical doctor, psychologist, scholar and author Evelin Novak (born 1985), Croatian opera soprano Evelin Ramón (born 1979), Cuban composer and singer Evelin Samuel (born 1975), Estonian singer Evelin Talts (born 1977), Estonian long-distance runner Evelin Vacsi (born 1993), Hungarian volleyball player Evelin Võigemast (born 1980), Estonian actress
Eveline Eveline Dew Blacker (1884–1956), British architect Eveline Brunner (born 1996), Swiss figure skater Eveline Burgess (1856–1936), American chess player Eveline M. Burns (1900–1985), British-American economist, writer and instructor Eveline Crone (born 1975), Dutch neuroscientist Eveline Cruickshanks (1926–2021), British historian Eveline de Haan (born 1976), Dutch field hockey player Eveline Du Bois-Reymond Marcus (1901–1990), German zoologist and drawer Eveline Fischer (born 1969), British video game music composer Éveline Gélinas (born 1974), Canadian actress Eveline Hańska (c. 1805–1882), Polish noblewoman, wife of Honoré de Balzac Eveline Hasler (born 1933), Swiss writer Eveline Herfkens (born 1952), Dutch civil servant, diplomat, and politician Eveline Hill (1898–1973), British Conservative Party politician Eveline Lowe (1869–1956), British politician Eveline Adelheid von Maydell (1890–1962), German silhouette artist Eveline Nünchert (born 1943), German chess player Eveline Peleman (born 1993), Belgian rower Eveline Peterson (1877–1944), English badminton player Eveline Saalberg (born 1998), Dutch track and field athlete Eveline Winifred Syme (1888–1961), Australian artist Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf (born 1956), Swiss lawyer and politician
Evelyne Évelyne Beaudin (born 1988), Canadian politician Evelyne Webb Bowdich (1861–1930), English writer Evelyne Brochu (born 1983), Canadian actress Evelyne Butoyi, Burundi politician Evelyne Gebhardt (born 1954), German politician Evelyne Hall (1909–1993), American athlete Evelyne Leu (born 1976), Swiss freestyle skier Evelyne Isaack Mbede (born 1957), Tanzanian geologist Evelyne Pinard (1923–2014) French national javelin athlete Evelyne de Pontbriand (1950–2024), French winemaker Évelyne Sullerot (1924–2017), French feminist Évelyne Thomas (born 1964), French television host
Men Evelyn Ashley (1836–1907), British barrister and Liberal politician Evelyn Baring, 1st Earl of Cromer (1841–1917), Consul-General of Egypt from 1883 to 1907 Evelyn Baring, 1st Baron Howick of Glendale (1903–1973), Governor of Kenya from 1952 to 1959 Evelyn Barker (1894–1983), British Army officer in World War I and II Evelyn Boscawen, 6th Viscount Falmouth (1819–1889), British horse breeder Evelyn Denison, 1st Viscount Ossington (1800–1873), British statesman G. Evelyn Hutchinson (1903–1991), British ecologist Evelyn King (politician) (1907–1994), British member of Parliament Evelyn Frederick Charles Ludowyk (1906–1985), Sri Lankan Burgher Trotskyist, author, playwright, critic Evelyn Owen (1915–1949), Australian inventor of the Owen submachine gun