Baby Names:

Evelyn

Meaning: Desired, wished for

Origin: English

Alternate spellings: Evelin, Evalynn, Evalynne, Evelynne

Evelyn’s an impossibly pretty name with an equally attractive pedigree. The name is preceded by other great name picks like English Aveline, Germanic Avelina, English Evlin, Irish Eibhlinn, and the word avis (“bird”). It also has a rich history – Evelyn peaked in 1915 at #10, then fell down the charts for nearly a century. It just hit the top 100 again in 2002 – on the wings of Ava, Avery, and Eva, perhaps – and has been climbing since. Not only is this name super-vintage, it’s got America’s Most Wanted Letter : V. Besides, what kid doesn’t want to be desired?