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Baby names

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Original poster

Evelyn: phonetically speakin "Eh-vil-in" or "Eve-lin"?

27 replies

SGirl · 17/01/2009 22:21

I really like the name Evie as a girl's name but, should i have a girl, would like to christen her Evelyn. I am, however, unsure of the female pronunciation of the version as it can be for either sex. Can anybody help???

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LittleDoe · 18/01/2009 20:50

My DH's Mum was called Evelyn, pronounced Eev-lin. However my old next door neighbour prounounced it Ev-lin.

We're all Scottish. I think the Eev-lin pronounciation is prettier, but probably because of the current popularity of Evie / Eva / Eve etc.

I was thinking of using it if we have a girl (as DH's Mum is dead and I never met her so thought it would be a nice touch), but wondered if it was a bit old-fashioned? Glad to hear there are discussions about it though!

PoloPlayingMummy · 18/01/2009 20:14

eve-lin if it's a girls name
ever-lin for a boy

Hulababy · 18/01/2009 20:12

Only Evelyn I have known off was pronounced Eve-lyn

bronze · 18/01/2009 20:03

I would go with Eve lyn but I'm biased

noonki · 18/01/2009 20:01

ever lin

mawbroon · 18/01/2009 19:57

Saltire, I have a suspicion that the R in the pronounciation must be a regional thing, you know, like when people say "ban-ar -na"

But I have no idea about regional accents, so I have no idea which area that might be in!

ElfOnTheTopShelf · 18/01/2009 15:18

Lots of names are pronounced differently to how they are spelt though

SaltireOShanter · 18/01/2009 15:13

Yes but where does the R come from, if there is no R in the name, why add one?

hippipotami · 18/01/2009 15:07

My dd's friend's sister is pronounced Ev-eh-lin. Beautiful name (lovely girl too, not that it makes any difference)

Sibh · 18/01/2009 15:03

DD2, now 5 months old, is Eibhlín (Ev-lin) here in Ireland. I don't like the 'er' bit in the middle personally but lots of people add it and people who don't see her much sometimes call her Eve-lyn. Not a name to pick if variations will bother you a lot. Obviously I think it's a lovely name either way ...

Isaidno · 18/01/2009 15:02

It's my middle name and it's Ee-vuh-lin in my opinion.

ElfOnTheTopShelf · 18/01/2009 14:50

Ev er lyn is the most common way of saying it around here.

SaltireOShanter · 18/01/2009 14:22

Most Scots I know would say Ev lin or Ev eh lin.

I don't see why it would be pronounced Eve r lin if there is no r in it?

jellybeans · 18/01/2009 14:08

My relative (elderly) is Eve-lyn

ElfOnTheTopShelf · 18/01/2009 10:34

My DD is Ev er lyn
Be aware that no matter HOW you decide to pronounce it, you'll have to correct some people, we still get a lot of people saying Ev Lyn or Eve Lyn

littleboyblue · 18/01/2009 07:49

'Fraid not Astarte. It was just nickname for ds for a bit...........

mawbroon · 17/01/2009 22:55

Ev-lin in this neck of the woods.

mrswoolf · 17/01/2009 22:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

WhatsTheBloodyPoint · 17/01/2009 22:49

Eve-lyn here

wilkos · 17/01/2009 22:47

i would say ever-lyn. lovely name

Astarte · 17/01/2009 22:45

hehehe!

LBB you are freakin' me out
btw please say lbb is nod to a Stacey Kent song, I shall love you forever if it is

Original poster
SGirl · 17/01/2009 22:36

Thanks, my husband made the He-Man reference too. Oh the politics of it all!

OP posts:
SoMuchToBits · 17/01/2009 22:27

I had a friend with two grandmothers, one was Ev-a-lyn, the other was Eev-lyn.

So you can pronounce it which way you like, although I think Eev-lyn is more common (for girls) and would make more sense if you wanted to call her Evie for short.

mygreatauntgriselda · 17/01/2009 22:25

Ever-lyn sound much prettier IMHO, but may be biased as I know a really gorgeous Ever-lyn . It does sound a lot softer those, than Eevlyn

littleboyblue · 17/01/2009 22:23

Agree with Astarte (again )