Evelyn

Evelyn is an English surname-turned-given name derived from the Norman French female name Aveline, itself a diminutive of the Germanic element avi, whose precise meaning is debated but may relate to the word for desired or wished for. It was used as a masculine given name in England from the seventeenth century, as seen in the diarist John Evelyn, before gradually shifting to predominantly feminine use during the twentieth century. The name shares roots with Aveline, Avila, and Avelina, and the short forms Eve and Evie are commonly associated with it.