Evalyn
A feminine name of English origin meaning "wished for child".
Name Census estimates that about 5,462 living Americans carry the first name Evalyn. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Evalyn today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Evalyn births was 2014 (331 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Evalyn. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
5.5K
~ 1 in 62,753 Americans
Peak year
2014
331 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,351
Tracked since 1880
Popularity
Evalyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Evalyn from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 2,798 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Evalyn remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Evalyn by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Evalyn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Evalyns live
The SSA's state-level files cover 35 states and territories. Texas, California, Pennsylvania recorded the most babies named Evalyn, while West Virginia, South Dakota, Maryland recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 153 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Evalyn
The name Evalyn originated from the Old English language, emerging around the 5th century AD. It is a feminine form derived from the Old English name Ælfwine, which translates to "elf friend" or "elf companion." The prefix "Ælf" refers to the mythological creatures known as elves, while the suffix "wine" means friend or companion.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Evalyn can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon period in England. It was particularly popular among the nobility and upper classes, who often drew inspiration from Old English names with connections to folklore and mythology.
One of the earliest known historical references to the name Evalyn comes from the Domesday Book, a medieval census commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears in several entries, indicating its usage among the Anglo-Saxon population of the time.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Evalyn saw sporadic use across various parts of England. Notable individuals who bore this name include Evalyn de Montfort, a 13th-century noblewoman and landowner (born c. 1225), and Evalyn Stafford, a 14th-century aristocrat and courtier (born c. 1350).
During the Renaissance period, the name Evalyn experienced a resurgence in popularity. One prominent figure with this name was Evalyn Calvert, an English settler and landowner in colonial Maryland, born in 1623. She played a significant role in the early development of the Maryland colony.
In the 18th century, Evalyn Granville (1708-1789) was a British author and playwright known for her plays and novels, which explored themes of female independence and social critique.
Another notable bearer of the name was Evalyn Walsh McLean (1886-1947), an American socialite and mining heiress famous for her extensive collection of jewels, including the Hope Diamond.
While the name Evalyn has maintained a relatively consistent presence throughout history, it has seen periods of increased popularity and occasional variations in spelling, such as Evaline or Evelyn.
People
Evalyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Evalyn as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Evalyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Evalyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5,462 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Evalyn going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 62,753 US residents.
Is Evalyn a common name?
We classify Evalyn as "Rare". It ranks above 96.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 9,415 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Evalyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Evalyn was 2014, when 331 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Evalyn is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Evalyn a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Evalyn in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.