One week ago, I asked my readers to vote on which three of the top ten names for each gender are their personal favorites. After one week of voting, I took the three most requested boy names and the three most requested girl names and wrote a profile on every single one, including not only my predictions for the name selected, but also my opinions on the name, the origins of the name, and the extent of time the name has claimed a spot in the esteemed top ten. These profiles of the reader-decided top three will slowly be released over the course of the next few weeks, so keep an eye out for more!
After last weekend’s profile on sweet, vintage Oliver, we plunge into another familiar vintage revival: Evelyn. She landed her spot in my reader-decided top three after being the third most requested girl name of the U.S. top ten, of which Evelyn falls on the latter end of. #10 of 10, third is a massive boost for this masculine surname turned a female phenomenon. Despite this name being the least popular of the list of names you had to choose from, the U.S. is the country Evelyn experiences the most use. Unlike Oliver, Evelyn goes under the radar in some other countries, ranking at #19 in England and #94 in Ireland.
How she got into one of the most exclusive name cliques, though, appears pretty clear to me. For years, parents have been obsessed with the -lyn ending, which has amplified many a girl's name in the past, and is part of this delightful moniker's charm. If Kaitlyn, Adalyn, Madelyn, and Jocelyn can make it, why not Evelyn? But despite this feminine ending, Evelyn originated first as a French surname, not a female name. Evelyn then started gaining in use as a first name, but solely for boys. At one point, Evelyn was a unisex name (refer to male author Evelyn Waugh, and his wife, also Evelyn.) before the scales tipped heavily in favor of the girls’ side when -lyn became a stylish ending for girls names. Not only does the -lyn promote Evelyn’s stellar popularity, her roots do as well. Although Evelyn and Eve didn’t sprout from the same seed, they do share a first syllable, meaning that parents who considered Eve too tailored and brief can turn to Evelyn as an elaboration and a more suitable full name. Not only that, Evelyn’s popularity could be due, in part, to her relatable meaning. Evelyn’s heartwarming meaning, “wished for a child” can hit close to home for some parents, and create a personal tie to the name even before they meet their daughter. Finally, as is a deal-breaker with many names, Evelyn possesses nicknames galore. Eva, Eve, Ellie, and, by far the most popular, Evie. Evie is spunky and vintage like Sadie, yet delicate and sweet like Felicity. Said eh-vee by some, but pronounced most commonly in the U.S. ee-vee, this cutesy antique of a nickname can be credited with a large portion of Evelyn’s popularity.
Now that we’ve covered the root of Evelyn’s acclaim, we’ll explore her fight to the top ten before deciding how long she’s likely to stay there. Evelyn cracked the exquisite top ten in 2017, where she peaked at #9. In spite of her accessible nicknames and trendy ending, all trends die at some point, and the numbers don’t lie. Evelyn has fallen in use since her peak in 2017, and I believe that she will continue to drop and fall out of favor, only to return in 100 years of dormancy and top the charts once again.
~Delphina Moon
How do you feel about the name Evelyn, and what do you think the upcoming 2019 data concerning Evelyn’s popularity will reveal about this gem of a name and the U.S. top ten?
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