Evelyn is derived from the name Aveline. Aveline is a diminutive of Avila. Avila originates in Germanic languages and most likely means "longed for". It is the name of a Spanish city in the Castile and Leon province and is famous for being one of the cities with the most churches in the world. Avila functions as a surname as well, as a feminine given name it is rather rare in the United States. Originally, Evelyn was popular as a masculine name. Currently, it is more popular for girls, probably because of its similarity to the name Evelina. Evelyn functions as a surname as well.