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    The surname Evelyn

    An English patronymic surname, carried by 1,278 people in the United States.

    Pronounced /ˈɛvəlɪn/ 3 syllables Soundex E145 Also a first name

    Evelyn: #20,697 of 162,253 surnames in the 2010 US Census #1Smith#160,975Doriott#10Martinez#100Jimenez#1,000Archer Evelyn #20,697, 1,278 people Evelyn: #20,697 of 162,253 surnames in the 2010 US Census #1Smith#160,975Doriott#100Jimenez Evelyn #20,697, 1,278 people
    Every surname held by 100 or more people in the 2010 US Census, most common on the left (162,253 in all). Evelyn is more common than 87.2% of them.

    Origin

    English origin

    From Middle English forms of the Old French female name Aveline, diminutive of the Germanic root *avi-, of uncertain meaning, possibly “desired, wished for“ (compare Latin avēre, "to wish for") or aval “strength”. By folk etymology also misunderstood as a diminutive of the feminine given name Eve, q.v. Doublet of Eileen. Also compare Ava.

    Evelyn is a patronymic surname: formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.

    One of 1,446 English surnames on this site.

    Origin from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    How common it is

    2010 US Census

    There were 1,278 people named Evelyn in the United States in 2010, about 1 in every 241,585 Americans. That is up 12% since 2000, when the Census counted 1,139.

    #20,697
    rank among US surnames
    1,278
    people in 2010
    0.4
    per 100,000 Americans
    +12.2%
    change since 2000 (was #21,406)

    Who is named Evelyn

    Race and Hispanic origin as people reported it in the 2010 Census

    51% of people named Evelyn identified as Black (not Hispanic), 34% as white (not Hispanic) and 9.9% as Hispanic or Latino (any race).

    • Black (not Hispanic) 51%
    • White (not Hispanic) 34%
    • Hispanic or Latino (any race) 9.9%
    • Two or more races 3.7%
    The Census suppresses very small shares to protect privacy; Asian & Pacific Islander, Native American are not shown.

    Compare: most common surnames among Black Americans.

    Famous Evelyns

    2 notable people on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Deborah Evelyn
      Brazilian actress, born 1966
    • Judith Evelyn
      American actress, 1909–1967

    Notable Evelyns come mostly from Brazil (1) and the United States (1).

    Spellings and sound-alikes

    Useful when a record has your ancestor under another spelling

    Surnames that sound like Evelyn

    Evelyn has the Soundex code E145, the code US census indexes have used since the 1930s. Every surname with code E145.

    Other English surnames

    All 1,446 English surnames

    Questions

    Where does the surname Evelyn come from?
    From Middle English forms of the Old French female name Aveline, diminutive of the Germanic root *avi-, of uncertain meaning, possibly “desired, wished for“ (compare Latin avēre, "to wish for") or aval “strength”. By folk etymology also misunderstood as a diminutive of the feminine given name Eve,…
    How common is the surname Evelyn?
    1,278 people in the United States had the surname Evelyn in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 241,585 Americans. It ranked 20,697th of 162,253 surnames.
    What ethnicity is the surname Evelyn?
    In the 2010 Census, 51% of people named Evelyn identified as Black (not Hispanic), and 34% as white (not Hispanic).
    Who is the most famous person named Evelyn?
    Deborah Evelyn, Brazilian actress, followed by Judith Evelyn.
    Where is the surname Evelyn most common?
    Wikidata records people named Evelyn in Brazil and the United States.
    How do you pronounce Evelyn?
    Evelyn is /ˈɛvəlɪn/, 3 syllables.
    What type of surname is Evelyn?
    Evelyn is a patronymic surname, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.
    Is the surname Evelyn getting more or less common?
    More common. 1,139 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 1,278 in 2010, up 12%.
    Is Evelyn also a first name?
    Yes. Evelyn is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.