Find out how popular the last name Evelyn is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Evelyn.

Evelyn, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Evelyn surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Evelyn in America

Evelyn is the 20697th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Evelyn surname appeared 1,278 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Evelyn.

We can also compare 2010 data for Evelyn to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Evelyn

The surname Evelyn is of English origin, derived from the Old English given name Æfelin or Avelyn. This name is believed to have evolved from the combination of the Old English words "afa" meaning "desired" and "lind" meaning "serpent protector". The name first appeared in historical records from the 8th century.

The earliest known bearer of the name was Evelyn, a Bishop of Worcester who lived from 692 to 717 AD. Another early record is from the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions Evelinus filius Folcarii, a landowner in Oxfordshire.

In the 12th century, the name was recorded as Avelyne, Aveline, and Evelina. Over time, the spelling evolved to its modern form of Evelyn. One of the earliest known instances of the surname Evelyn dates back to 1273, when Robert Evelyn was recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire.

The surname Evelyn is also associated with several notable figures throughout history. Robert Evelyn (1586-1626) was an English merchant and Member of Parliament. His son, John Evelyn (1620-1706), was a renowned diarist, writer, and horticulturist. John Evelyn's memoirs, "Diary and Correspondence," provide valuable insights into 17th-century English society and culture.

Another prominent bearer of the name was Sir Frederick Evelyn (1779-1837), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. He was knighted for his distinguished service and became a Rear Admiral in the Royal Navy.

Additionally, William John Evelyn (1822-1908) was a British clergyman and writer who served as the Archdeacon of Wiltshire. He authored several theological works and contributed to the establishment of the Church of England Temperance Society.

Lastly, Sir Arthur Evelyn St. John-Brodrick (1857-1942) was a British politician who served as Secretary of State for War and Secretary of State for India in the early 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Evelyn

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Evelyn.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Evelyn was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Evelyn has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Evelyn was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Evelyn, please contact us.

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