Evelyn (name)

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Evelyn
Pronunciation /ˈɛʌəlɪn,ˈvlɪn/ EV-ə-lin, EEV-lin
GenderUnisex
Origin
Word/namefrom Norman French; Aveline; from Hebrew Eve; from Old Irish 'óiph'
Meaninghazelnut; life; beauty; bird; water
Region of origin English language speaking areas, Germany, Estonia,
Other names
Related names Evelina; Avelina; Aveline; Eve

Evelyn is a given name, very common in the English language, where it can be used as a first name or a surname. [1]

Contents

The name originally was used as a surname, which derived from Aveline, which means "hazelnut" in modern french, but the older origin is a feminine Norman French diminutive of the name Ava. [2] Ava itself is a hypocoristic Germanic name, of uncertain origin. [3] , often interpreted as meaning "bird" having origins in the word 'Avis" or "Water, Island, sland" coming from the proto germanic word "aue"

Evelyn is also sometimes used as modern variation of the name Eve, which means "life". Other variation is an Anglicisation of the Irish Aibhilín or Éibhleann. [4] Aibhilín (variant Eibhlín) is itself derived from the Norman French Aveline. Éibhleann (variant Éibhliu [1] ), on the other hand, is said to be derived from the Old Irish óiph ("beauty" [5] ).

Variant forms of the feminine first name Evelyn include: Evaline, Evalyn, Eveleen, Evelien, Eveliene, Evelin, Evelina, Eveline, Evelyne, Évelyne, Ewaline and Ewelina. Some of these forms may (also) have arisen as diminutive forms of Eve. [4] [6]

People with this first name

Women

Female variants

Eveleen

Evelien

Evelin

Eveline

Evelyne

Men

People with this surname

Fictional characters

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References

  1. 1 2 Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006), "Evelyn", A Dictionary of First Names, Oxford Paperback Reference (2nd ed.), Oxford University Press, p. 347, ISBN   978-0-19-861060-1 .
  2. Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006), A Dictionary of First Names, Oxford Paperback Reference (2nd ed.), Oxford University Press, p. 341, ISBN   978-0-19-861060-1 . its also an elaborated form of >Ava."
  3. Förstemann, Altdeutsches Namenbuch (1847), 190 adduces OHG awa "flowing water" and Gothic awō "grandmother"
  4. 1 2 Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006), A Dictionary of First Names, Oxford Paperback Reference (2nd ed.), Oxford University Press, pp. 95–96, ISBN   978-0-19-861060-1 .
  5. eDIL s.v. oíb: "semblance, appearance, aspect, nature or condition (of things or abstracts)"; "beauty or attractiveness (of appearance, nature or disposition)".
  6. Eveleen at behindthename.com