Names Like Eve: Rare Evadne, Classic Evelyn and More

Let’s talk about names like Eve, but make them longer. 

After all, Evelyn ranks in the United States Top Ten. Everly and Everleigh aren’t far behind. Mini names Eva and Eve are popular, but so are elaborate variants like Evangeline. 

They’re perfect as first names, or a meaningful middle name possibility. 

Well beyond the Top 1000, even more EV names await. Some feel like neglected antiques. Others qualify as fresh and modern. And a surprisingly number fall somewhere in between.

After all, we’re wild about V names, especially middle V names for girls. Just ask Ava and Olivia. Names starting with vowels are having a moment, too. While A remains the reigning favorite, letter E names for girls are also powerfully popular.

They’re outperformed by EL names, of course, from classic Elizabeth and sweet Ella to rising favorites like Elodie, Eloise, and Elora. But that’s probably part of the appeal for girl names that start with EV. They’re cousins to the EL names, but maybe a little sharper.

So no surprise that EV names for girls appear on many parents’ lists.

POPULAR EV NAMES

EVA and EVE

The very first woman, according to the Book of Genesis, Eve’s name means “to live” or “to breathe.” While she and Adam were exiled from Eden, the name remains popular. Adding an ‘a’ makes it Eva, the Latin form of the traditional name. Eva has almost always been more popular in the US. Both travel nicely across most European languages. The name’s Biblical roots will speak to some families; the concept of life might be even more broadly appealing. Worth noting: even in English-speaking countries, Eva comes with multiple pronunciations: a long AY like Ava; a short E, like Ever; and a long E like weave. The last is most common. 

EVANGELINE

The poet Longfellow wrote an epic poem titled Evangeline back in 1847. It comes from the Greek “good news.” Some find it literary; others find it religious. After all, to evangelize can mean to convert others to your faith. At four syllables, it’s among the longest girl names in the current Top 1000. Evangeline mixes an appeal to western literature, making this a classic yet distinctive name. 

EVELYN

Tailored and refined, Evelyn started out as a surname. Some argue that it’s masculine, and it does have a history as a boy’s given name. But it traces its roots to Aveline, which is feminine. By twenty-first century standards, Eve and -lyn make it decidedly feminine. It entered the US Top Ten in 2017. That makes it more popular today than it was back in the 1910s, the last era the name topped the charts.

EVERLY, EVERLEIGH, EVERLEE

Everly brings to mind Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Everly Brothers. But despite our love for Hendrix and Lennon, this name succeeds mostly on sound. It mixes parts of favorites like Avery and Emily, Evelyn and Kennedy. Multiple alternate spellings could make this name feel even more popular. Besides the three listed here, other spellings of the first name include Everley, Everlie, Everli, and Everlea.

EVIE

You might name your daughter Evie, just like Sadie and Millie and lots of other nickname names rank in the Top 1000, sometimes well ahead of their formal versions. But with every new Evelyn or Evanna or Evolet, there’s more potential for this nickname to catch on, just like so many girls called Maddie and Addie, or boys answering to Leo and Max. In the United Kingdom, Evie outranks longer forms including Eva and Eve. 

EV ELABORATIONS

EVALIA

This could simply be Eva-plus-Lia. But Saint Evallius (or Evellius, Evelio, or Evellio) was an early Christian convert who suffered a martyr’s death around the year 66. Evalia might be an unusual, elegant name based on the saint’s name. 

EVALINA and EVELINA

The romantic heroine in Fanny Burney’s 1778 novel Evelina probably put this name on parents’ radar way back when. It connects to a cluster of names, including Evelyn and Aveline. While neither spelling has ever been common, both are quietly rising in use.

EVALISE and EVALISSE

Yvelise might come from a 1923 romance written by Gudio da Verona. It’s probably a feminine form of the masculine Yves. The name has also been spelled Yvelisse and Ivelisse, and yes, a handful of Evalise and Evalisse entries appear in US data, too. Among several names likes Eve, Evalise and company offer lots of flexibility with multiple spellings and ending sounds. 

EVANIA

Girls names ending with -ia top popularity charts these days, so it’s no surprise that Evania has been heard. It might have been invented by adding the -nia ending to Eva. Or maybe it was borrowed from a video game character – or possibly a type of wasp.

EVETTE

Like Evalise, Evette probably comes from Yves. In French, Yvette is fairly common. The Y spelling peaked in the 1960s and 70s; Evette briefly inched into the Top 1000 back then, too. But today Evette feels like a mash-up of Eva and Scarlett, and that makes it a little fresher than the Y spelling.

EVIANA and EVIANNA

It sounds close to Evian, the bottled water company. But Eviana might simply be an elaboration of Eva. After all, Ariana, Eliana, Liliana, Gianna, and Brianna are all popular for our daughters today.

EVIENNE

From Eviana, it’s just a hop, skip, and a jump to Evienne. It takes the French ending of Vivienne and adds it to spare, simple Eve.

EVITA

Famous as the name of former First Lady of Argentina, this name immediately brings to mind Evita Peron. The subject of a smash hit Broadway musical in the late 1970s, her life is a rags to riches story, set against the backdrop of South American politics and gender roles in the middle of the 20th century. Her given name was Maria Eva, but even in the US, there’s an uptick in girls named just Evita following her rise to international prominence. The musical was recently revived on London’s West End, starring Rachel Ziegler as the iconic Evita. 

EV SMOOSH NAMES

EVABEL, EVABELLA, EVABELLE

Isabelle, Annabelle, why not Evabelle?

EVALEE and EVALIE

Evalee – no matter the spelling – looks promising. We love Rosalie and Emily and Natalie, right? But Evalee sounds a little bit like evilly, and the adverb seems to have given parents pause. Still, it’s not really the same – and a small number of girls receives the name every year.

EVALUNA

There have been plenty of women with names like Eva Rose and Eva Marie, sometimes smooshed to Evarose and Evamarie. But Evaluna is a novelty, a night sky smoosh that brings to mind Stellaluna of children’s book fame.

EVALYN, EVALYNN

At first glance, it’s a form of Evelyn. Or maybe it’s an Eva-Lynn smoosh. Either way, Evalyn is in steady use, along with Evalynn.

EVANORA

An Eva-Nora combination, Evanora was used in 2013 fantasy film Oz the Great and Powerful. In the movie, Evanora is the Wicked Witch of the East. While L. Frank Baum was a daring namer, he left this particular witch nameless, even as Dorothy dropped a house on her. Over the years, she’s been called Zinna, Gingama, Evvamene, Malvonia, Rebecca, and, of course, in Wicked, Nessarose.

EVAROSE

Odds are plenty of girls are named Eva Rose, but at least a handful are called Evarose – one name – every year.

EVELEEN, EVELIEN, EVELINE

A lovely Eve elaboration in the key of Maureen and other girls’ names ending with sound. While -een names fell out of favor in recent years, they’re making a quiet comeback with choices like Maxine and Eileen rising in use. 

EVERLYN and EVERLYNN

Everlyn feels like a modern portmanteau of word name Ever and the ubiquitous -lyn ending. But Everlyn has been given to girls born in the US as far back as 1906, and continues to climb in use.

OVERLOOKED EVS

EVAECHME

Based on a similar name from Greek mythology, this name probably sounds something like eh-VAK-mee. That doesn’t quite work in American English today, and you’d never pick this name for ease of pronunciation or spelling. But legend says she was granddaughter to Hercules, and history gives us a princess of ancient Megara. (Yes, like the animated Disney character.)

EVADNE

Ancient Evadne comes from a tragic story in Greek myth, but has a thoroughly modern sound. Evadne fits right in with all of the Ev names for girls, but also Zoe, Chloe, and Penelope. The first syllable comes from the Greek word for good – eu, just like Eugenie and Eulalia.

EVALDA

One of the reasons so many names like Eve and Eva are heard? Different cultures use the sound. A German element, ewa, meant law. The -ald ending referred to authority. Several medieval Ewalds and Evalds are heard in Germany; it’s also a surname; and maybe there are a handful of Evaldas out there, too.

EVANDRA

A feminine form of Evander, also a rare name. Evandra nods to similar names like Alexandra. The etymology is appealing: it comes from a Greek phrase meaning “good man.”

EVANGELISTA

A direct reference to an evangelist, this name is sometimes heard in Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish-speaking communities. It’s also a surname, as in late 1980s supermodel Linda Evangelista, a Canadian of Italian descent.

EVANTHE

Another “good” name, Evanthe means good flower. It’s a pan-botanical choice, a name for a gardener’s daughter.

EVANTHIA

Euanthe means blooming; flowery meanings signal femininity, but that sharp Ev sound lends it some oomph. 

EVARISTA

Euaristos or Evaristus served as fifth pope in the early church. His name means pleasing; Evarista is a possible feminine form. 

EVELINE, EVELYNE

A century ago, spellings Eveline and Evelyne featured in the US Top 1000, too. Something to consider in our age of Adeline/Adelyn.

EVERILD

Plenty of Anglo-Saxon names feel unwearable today. File Eoforhild with them. And yet, it’s a name with history, and a sleek, far more wearable modern form: Everild.

EVOCHILDE, EVOCHILDIS

Sometime in the 6th century, Evochildis of Cologne married a medieval king, Theuderic I. Or possibly she was his mother, married to his father, Clovis I. In any case, the second element of her name likely means “battle” while the first element might mean “boar.” 

INNOVATIVE EVS

EVANNA

You’ll sometimes meet girls name Evan, but Evanna seems to be an attempt to craft a feminine form. Evanna Lynch is the Irish actor who played Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter movies. If it does come from Evan, then it’s a cousin to all of the feminine forms of John. Or it might have independent roots. L. Frank Baum used the name for a character in Ozma of Oz, for a daughter of the cruel king Evoldo of Ev. (Her siblings were sisters Evedna, Evella, Evirene, Evrose, and brothers Evardo, Evington, Evring, Evrob, and Evroland – that’s quite a list!)

EVANI

Ivani developed as a unisex form of Ivan in Brazilian Portuguese; Evani might be another spelling. But it’s also a Sanskrit name for a goddess of the forest.

EVANILDA

In romance languages, Ivan might be elaborated to Ivanildo. Evanilda transforms the name even more, to something ever-so-slightly unique.

EVANNIE

This seems to be a true invented name, with no consistent spelling or clear roots. Evony looks like Ebony-with-a-v. The more elaborate Evannie might be another attempt to feminize Evan. Evany, Evanie, Evonie, Evenny and Evenie are sometimes seen, too, though none is terribly popular on its own.

EVAINE

Neil Gaiman seems to have invented Yvaine for Stardust, based on one of the (male) Knights of the Round Table. It could be respelled with an E, opening the door to Evie as a nickname.

EVAYA

Sometimes listed as a Hebrew name, Evaya is most often an elaboration of Eve. 

EVELITH, EVOLETH

Some sources suggest this comes from the Greek evolvere – to unfold, the same as our word evolve. But that could be said of many names like Eve. Chances are it’s a cousin to Evolet, possibly influenced by names like Lilith, too. 

EVEXY

Evexy appeared in a Names for Real post back in 2016. A meaning and origin have proved elusive. But a V and an X in your child’s name? That’s an appealing possibility for some families. And a heck of a Scrabble score, too …

EVIA

fix Of debated origin and meaning. Theories include a Latinization of Evie, and elaboration of Eva, a transferred use of the surname, an Anglicization of Aoife and an adoption of the Greek place name (also known as Euboea).

EVICA

Just like Evita, Evica is an elaboration of Eva, this one heard in Slavic languages like Serbian.

EVOLET

The 2008 movie 10,000 BC gave this name to the love interest, played by Camilla Belle. The movie claimed Evolet meant “promise of life,” which could be a poetic spin on the name Eve. It’s also pretty close to “the love” backwards. Before the prehistoric flick, Evalette was sometimes seen, but Evolet was all thanks to 10,000 BC. Despite the movie’s modest box office performance, this name seems poised to go farther.

EVONNE

Yvonne with an E. 

EVREN

A unisex name borrowed from Turkic myth, Evren sounds like so many choices on this list. But with rich meaning and symbolism, it’s among the more storied of the Ev names. The name literally means “the universe,” and the Evren is a giant snake-like creature. Pretty fierce!

SURNAME EVS

EVALET, EVALETA, EVALETTE, EVALETTA

This might be a combination of Eva and the -lette of Colette and Arlette. But it’s also a surname, heard in French-speaking countries, at least when spelled Evalet. As a surname, it’s probably related to val, as in valley or possibly the job title valet, a manservant.

EVERDEEN

Hunger Games heroine Katniss Everdeen got her surname from Thomas Hardy’s Bathsheba Everdene, the central character in Far From the Madding Crowd. While they’re very different, they both go through all sorts of trials and tribulations to win a happy (enough) ending. A small number of girls have received the name, almost certainly inspired by the YA hero.

EVERETT, EVERETTE

Surname name Everett is used overwhelming for boys. But with possible nickname Evie, and the same -ett ending as Scarlett, a few parents have considered this one for their daughters, too.

WORD AND PLACE EVS

EVANESCENCE

A haunting word name option, Evanescence refers to something that fades away. It’s also the name of a band. As a given name, it leans a little Goth, but that might work – particularly as a bold middle.

EVENING

A night sky name with potential. 

EVER

Ever feels like a modern virtue name, rich with promises of all things eternal and enduring. It might also indicate loyalty. After all, it’s more wearable than something like Steadfast.

EVEREST

The English name of the world’s highest mountain, Everest might indicate adventure or ambition. After all, some hear it and think of scaling the heights; others think of the view from the top. Either way, it’s part-place name, part-virtue name. And while it’s rare, just like all the other Ev names, we’re hearing it more.

EVERGREEN

A word name implying forever, and all things forests.

EVERLASTING

A fairy tale word name, often paired with “love” in modern use.

EVERMORE

Perfect for parents who love Taylor Swift and girl names that start with EV.

What are your favorite EV names for girls? Do you like any of these names like Eve?

First published on March 2, 2016, this post was revised substantially and re-published on June 30, 2020; July 13, 2023; and April 29, 2026.