Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Evelyn - Most common pronunciation

60 replies

SemperIdem · 22/07/2022 15:54

Would you say:

Eve-lin
Ehv-lin
Ev-uh-lin

I’m just curious as to which pronunciation is most popular. It’s one of those names that is nice but nobody ever seems to agree on how to say.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
SycamoreTall · 22/07/2022 18:23

Evelyn Waugh and his wife were both eev-lyn. Make of that what you will, I suppose!

SplendidUtterly · 22/07/2022 18:00

I use to call my friend "Evil-Lyn"
Luckily she saw the funny side and got the reference to that old 80's cartoon "He-man" :)

KirstenBlest · 22/07/2022 17:55

I would pick a different name. I don't think that Evlyn, Eve-Lynn or Evilyn would thank you for the dodgy spelling.

PinkPair · 22/07/2022 17:40

@SemperIdem I would decide the pronunciation you want and adjust the spelling so it's obvious eg. Evlyn or Eve-Lynn or Evilyn
My cousin did this with a similar name and her DD's name always been pronounced exactly the way they want it, no confusion.

KirstenBlest · 22/07/2022 17:17

Until a few years ago I'd only heard it said as Eev-lin, or occasionaly Evlin.

Roselilly36 · 22/07/2022 17:13

I would say Eve-Lynn, others I know say Eve r Lynn

Belephant · 22/07/2022 17:06

Oh god, this is going to turn into a thread where people pretend they don't understand that non-rhotic accents exist, isn't it?!

Anyway, I would assume Ev-uh-lyn (which is pronounced the exact same Ever-lyn in my accent 😉). I think I prefer eev-lyn, though actually. But I like the name in general, regardless of pronunciation!

Kite22 · 22/07/2022 17:03

I know both eeeeve-lins and ever-lins/evuh-lins is equal proportions. I don't think one is more popular than the other around here.

Princessoftheuniverse · 22/07/2022 17:03

I’ve just realised I’m not consistent in how I pronounce it so not much help. Just call her Eve. It’s a lovely name.

Allmarbleslost · 22/07/2022 16:59

The one in my family is ev-lin. Personally I wouldn't choose it for this very reason - I would get irritated by everyone pronouncing it differently!

Sgtmajormummy · 22/07/2022 16:56

In the James Joyce Dubliners story the woman’s name is abbreviated to Evvie, so I’m going with
“EVV (e) lin”.

PinkPair · 22/07/2022 16:54

Ehv-lin. I'm in Scotland

LucyLocketLostThePlot · 22/07/2022 16:50

MurderAtTheBeautyPageant · 22/07/2022 16:31

ev-uh-lin

Like this.

MsTSwift · 22/07/2022 16:46

Eve is a lovely name - just that everyone else thinks so too! My Eve mum friends (of which there are quite a few) admit they would have chosen differently they hadn’t realised quite how popular it is.

MurderAtTheBeautyPageant · 22/07/2022 16:31

ev-uh-lin

Original poster
SemperIdem · 22/07/2022 16:30

@MsTSwift

I didn’t realise Eve names were quite so popular! Has been 7 years since I named a baby so I’m clearly out of the loop. I’d prefer not to use the modern equivalent of Sarah in terms of popularity, I managed to avoid a top 100 name first time round!

OP posts:
Yodaisawally · 22/07/2022 16:27

Ev-lin

mathanxiety · 22/07/2022 16:25

And I've never heard anyone use Eevie as the abbreviation.

Every Evelyn I've ever known used the abbreviation Evvie, to rhyme with heavy.

mathanxiety · 22/07/2022 16:23

Ev-uh-lin

MsTSwift · 22/07/2022 16:23

Just be aware Eve names are insanely popular. It’s the equivalent of calling your child Sarah in the 70s. At one point a third of the girls in dds class were called Eve/Evie/Eva they all have to use surnames too. Fine if it doesn’t bother you but be aware. I changed my choice as nearly called my first baby an insanely popular name for that year so so glad I realised just in time.

AliceMcK · 22/07/2022 16:19

MoonKnight · 22/07/2022 15:59

Ever-Lyn

I’d go with this, broad NW accent

But it would fully depend on how someone introduced themselves, I’ve also heard

Eeev-lyn
Ev-a-lyn
Eve-a-lyn

Sisisimone · 22/07/2022 16:14

Ev-a-lyn

MoonKnight · 22/07/2022 16:12

pinklavenders · 22/07/2022 16:02

Ever-Lyn

But there's no R..?!

That’s how my piano teacher pronounced her name, and she must have been pushing 90 back in 1985.

maybe it’s regional- I’m from east London.

SalviaOfficinalis · 22/07/2022 16:10

On the basis that the short version is usually Evie (ee-vee), I always say it Eve-Lyn in my head…

It’s a nice name but has been used a lot recently and there are other nice names that don’t have pronunciation issues, like Eve or Eva.

SpaceJamtart · 22/07/2022 16:09

I know five, all said Ev-a-lyn