A given name commonly used for both boys and girls, though more popular for girls in modern times.
From the Old English name 'Avelina,' which comes from the Germanic root meaning 'desired' or 'pleasant.' The name evolved through Norman French and became popular in England after the Norman Conquest. It first appeared as a surname before becoming a given name in the 19th century.
Evelyn has switched genders throughout history—it was a boy's name in Victorian times (like the famous diarist John Evelyn), but by the 1900s it became mainly a girl's name, which shows how fashions in naming change completely over time!
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