Evelyn is a feminine given name of English origin. It is derived from the Old English name Ælfnþiu, which was composed of two elements: ælf, meaning "elf", and niu, meaning "new". Thus, Evelyn means "elf new" or "noble new".
The name Evelyn has been popular throughout history, with notable bearers including Evelyn Waugh, a renowned English novelist and essayist, and Evelyn de Morgan, a prominent British ceramic artist. However, its peak popularity was during the late 19th to early 20th century.
Evelyn is also associated with several significant historical figures. Saint Evelyn (also known as Ælfwynn) was an Anglo-Saxon princess who lived in the 10th century. She is revered as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church for her piety and virtue. Additionally, Evelyn Nash was one of the first female police officers in the United States, serving in the early 20th century.
In literature, Evelyn appears in works such as "The Count of Monte Cristo" by Alexandre Dumas, where she is a character named Valentine de Villefort, who later adopts the name Evelyn. In more recent times, Evelyn Carnahan (played by Rachel Weisz) is a prominent character in the 1999 film "The Mummy".
The name Evelyn has also been used as a surname, particularly among families of English descent. Notable individuals with the surname Evelyn include John Evelyn, an English diarist and gardener, and David Evelyn, an American actor.
Overall, Evelyn is a name with a rich history and meaningful origin, making it a popular choice for parents looking for a classic yet distinctive name for their daughter.
Here are some interesting statistics about the name Evelyn:
The name Evelyn has been consistently popular over the past century and a half in the United States. In fact, it's one of those rare names that never fell out of fashion completely.
In the late 19th century, the number of babies named Evelyn was quite low. Between 1880 and 1887, there were fewer than 250 births each year with this name. However, things started to change in the 1890s when the number of Evelyns began to rise steadily.
By the turn of the century, Evelyn had become quite popular. In 1900, there were over 1100 births with this name. This trend continued throughout the early decades of the 20th century, reaching its peak in the late 1910s and early 1920s when more than 13,000 babies were named Evelyn annually.
After World War II, Evelyn's popularity started to decline. By the late 1950s and early 1960s, fewer than 4000 births with this name occurred each year. This low popularity continued until the mid-1970s when Evelyn began to regain some traction.
In recent years, Evelyn has seen a resurgence in popularity. Between 2005 and 2022, there were over 6000 births each year with this name, demonstrating that it remains a timeless choice for parents today.
Overall, Evelyn has been one of the most consistently popular names in the United States since its peak in the early 20th century. Its enduring appeal is evident even now, more than 130 years after it first began to gain traction among American parents.