Evelyn (name)

Evelyn (name)

Evelyn is both a surname and a given name in the English language. The modern given name is a unisex name, although it is more commonly borne by females. The given name is derived from the surname. The surname is derived from Aveline, a feminine Norman French name, which is a form of Ava.

Evelyn is also sometimes used as an Anglicisation of the Irish or Aibhilín and Éibhleann. Aibhilín is a variant form of Eibhlín, which is also derived from the Norman French Aveline. Éibhleann, on the other hand, is said to be derived from the Old Irish óiph, which means "radiance", "beauty"; a variant of this name is Éibhliu, another Anglicised form of the name is Evilin. Another school of thought is that the name "Evelyn" means "hazelnut.

Variant forms of the feminine given name Eveylyn include: Evelyne, Eveline, Evylen, Eveleen.