Evelyn

Girls

Best rank #20 (2025) · ranked in 15 years

Evelyn has appeared in the popularity rankings across 15 of the tracked years since 2011.

It climbed from #92 in 2011 to #20 in 2025.

In the most recent data (2025) it ranks #20.

9,131 newborns received the name Evelyn in 2025, its peak year.

Evelyn was most popular around 2025, making it characteristic of the 2020s generation.

Rank by year

11020201120182025
  1. 2025209,131
  2. 2024219,152
  3. 2023219,129
  4. 2022229,338
  5. 2021229,505
  6. 2020249,524
  7. 20192610,449
  8. 20182710,446
  9. 20172710,759
  10. 20164110,124
  11. 2015529,394
  12. 2014578,758
  13. 2013657,684
  14. 2012916,893
  15. 2011926,717

Similar names

If Evelyn is on your shortlist, Emma, Ethan, Elijah are worth a look too, given the similar sound and comparable popularity trends.

Origin & meaning

Evelyn originated as an English surname derived from the medieval given name Aveline, a Norman diminutive of Ava. Its precise meaning is debated among etymologists, with theories ranging from 'desired' or 'wished-for child' to a link with the Germanic root behind Ava, possibly meaning 'water' or 'island.'

Notable people named Evelyn

  • Evelyn Waugh - English novelist, author of Brideshead Revisited
  • Evelyn Glennie - Scottish virtuoso percussionist and composer

Once used for both boys and girls in Britain, Evelyn is now overwhelmingly a girls' name in the United States, where it has become a fashionable top-20 choice, favored for its vintage, old-Hollywood elegance.

Where Evelyn is most popular

In 2025, Evelyn was recorded in 51 of the 51 US jurisdictions the SSA reports on, with 9,123 births nationwide.

The largest share came from Texas at 925 births, 10.1% of the national total, where it ranked #32 that year.

By census region the name skews South, which accounts for 38.0% of Evelyn births, against 13.5% Northeast, 25.2% Midwest, 23.3% West.

State rankings spread more than the national figure suggests: Evelyn placed as high as #4 in Vermont and as low as #104 in Hawaii.

Top states, 2025

  1. 1Texas925 · #32 there
  2. 2California892 · #43 there
  3. 3Ohio420 · #11 there
  4. 4Florida393 · #70 there
  5. 5New York352 · #68 there

Share by census region

  • Northeast13.5%
  • Midwest25.2%
  • South38.0%
  • West23.3%

Shares are of this name's national total, not of each state's births. SSA withholds any name under 5 occurrences per state and year. Browse all states

Frequently asked questions

Is Evelyn a popular name?
Evelyn reached a best rank of #20 in 2025 and has charted in 15 years.
Where does Evelyn rank now?
In the most recent data (2025), Evelyn ranks #20.
Is Evelyn a boy or girl name?
It is recorded primarily as a girls' name.
When was Evelyn most popular?
Evelyn peaked around 2025.

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Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) - Popular Baby Names (national)