Evelyn
Girl name · Celtic · French · German · Latin · Old English
Meaningpossibly desired · English
- US rank
- #8
- Syllables
- 3
- Peak
- #8 in 2025
9,123 babies were named Evelyn in the US in 2025. It has climbed 1 places in five years.
Found on lists
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million girls, 1880–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Evelyn you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Evelyn
Evelyn Beatrice Hall
English writer
Choose Evelyn and your child shares a first name with Evelyn Beatrice Hall, an English writer. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Evelyn, like who?” Evelyn Beatrice Hall's Wikipedia article is available in 39 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Evelyn Beatrice Hall on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Alfred Agache, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 176 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Evelyn, 9,123 babies in all. In a school of 500 kids, there'd probably be one other Evelyn.
- HistoryEvelyn has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Evelyns, and counting.
- Best yearEvelyn is at its all-time high right now: #8 in 2025.
- Then vs nowEvelyn is 4.6× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 817 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 176.
- Where it's lovedEvelyn is the #2 girl name in 5 states, including Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska. It makes the top 1,000 in almost every state.
- MeaningIn English, Evelyn means “possibly desired”. Our records link it to Celtic, French and German roots.
- OriginEvelyn is the most popular Celtic girl name in the US. That's out of 407 Celtic girl and unisex names in our list.
About the name Evelyn
Evelyn is a girl name of Celtic, French and German origin meaning “possibly desired”. It has 6 letters and 3 syllables, starting with E and ending in “-lyn”. US birth records list Evelyn for girls from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 2025, when it ranked #8 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #8, with 9,123 babies.
Origin:Celtic namesFrench namesGerman namesLatin namesOld English names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,361 | 735 girls |
| 1890s | 2,496 | 401 girls |
| 1900s | 6,162 | 162 girls |
| 1910s | 10,941 | 91 girls |
| 1920s | 10,367 | 96 girls |
| 1930s | 6,504 | 154 girls |
| 1940s | 3,393 | 295 girls |
| 1950s | 2,012 | 497 girls |
| 1960s | 1,220 | 820 girls |
| 1970s | 642 | 1,558 girls |
| 1980s | 639 | 1,565 girls |
| 1990s | 843 | 1,186 girls |
| 2000s | 2,196 | 455 girls |
| 2010s | 4,982 | 201 girls |
| 2020s | 5,728 | 175 girls |
Other spellings of Evelyn
More Celtic girl names
- Girl name: Isla · from Islay
- Unisex name: Riley · rye clearing
- Girl name: Maeve · she who intoxicates
- Unisex name: Kennedy · helmeted head
- Unisex name: Quinn · descendant of Conn
- Unisex name: Blair · plain, field
- Girl name: Olive · olive tree
- Unisex name: Rory · red king
Questions about the name Evelyn
What does the name Evelyn mean?
Evelyn means “possibly desired” in English.
What is the origin of the name Evelyn?
Evelyn has Celtic, French, German, Latin, Old English roots in our records. Other Celtic names include Isla, Riley, Maeve.
Is Evelyn a boy or girl name?
Evelyn is a girl name, though a few boys get it too.
How popular is the name Evelyn?
Evelyn ranked #8 for US girls in 2025, given to 9,123 babies. Its best year was 2025 (#8).