I did not realise that [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] had become so popular! DH and I are absolutely in love with the name, and it’s now at the top spot for girls. My question is, will spelling it with an A take away from it?
My side of the family (many ESL speakers) have only heard [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] said eev-lyn, but we want it to be said ev-uh-lyn. So, we thought maybe a more phonetic spelling–[name_f]Evalyn[/name_f] will make it easier for them. [name_f]Do[/name_f] you think this spelling works? Or does it look too much like we just wanted a “unique” spelling?
I’m sorry to say this, but I think an alternate spelling really does downgrade this name. Also, people might still mispronounce it–[name_f]Evalyn[/name_f] could mistakenly be said “EEV-ah-lyn” so it doesn’t eliminate the ESL confusion.
That said, I think [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] is gorgeous and an understated classic. I think if you end up using [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] with the regular spelling, your family remembers will remember to pronounce it correctly after a few tries at most.
I would be more inclined to pronounce [name_f]Evalyn[/name_f] as ee-va-lyn actually because it looks like a smoosh of [name_f]Eva[/name_f] and [name_u]Lynn[/name_u] and another name that’s hoping on the “put lyn at the end” trend. I also don’t think this will help your relatives pronounce the name correctly as they are most likely pronouncing it that way because of the E at the beginning and nothing else.
Stay with [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u]! It’s so beautiful and the classic spelling wins out.
Definetly stick with [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u]!
I too would pronounce [name_f]Evalyn[/name_f] as ee-va-lynn.
It won’t take long for people to get used to the pronunciation you’re using, you just explain that this is a legit spelling, and probably most common these days.
Spell it [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u]. When you pick a classic (and popular) name like this, most will find it tacky to change the spelling. The a doesn’t make it more uniqe, it’s only going to mean she’ll have to say “you spelled my name wrong, it’s e-v-A-l-y-n.” all the time.
I’d say 85% of people pronnounce [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] as ev-ah-lyn, you don’t need to worry about that.
My nan was named [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] but I love the spelling [name_f]Evalyn[/name_f]. When I have a daughter I plan to use the spelling [name_f]Evalyn[/name_f] as a middle name to honour her
I much prefer the [name_f]Evalyn[/name_f] spelling but of course everyone has different tastes.
I would stick with [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u]. Once you tell your family how you are pronouncing it they will say it that way too. I feel like [name_f]Evalyn[/name_f] would create more pronunciation problems!
I’d use [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u]. I think if you change the spelling to [name_f]Evalyn[/name_f] you might end up causing more confusion (with the general public) even if it did help a bit with the family pronunciation. Hopefully when you explain the pronunciation you are using your relatives will be able to pronounce it the way you like it. However, I will say coming from a multi-cultural family where more than one language is used…I would take (realistic) pronunciation in all the languages into account. If it’s going to be really difficult for certain relatives to say the name as you like it, I’d say just make sure you’ll be able to live with it getting pronounced a bit differently at times. I don’t think that takes away from the name, though, so I’d encourage you to go ahead and use [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] since it’s your top choice. [name_f]Hope[/name_f] this helps
Thanks for all the feedback! Dh says he thinks the spelling [name_f]Evalyn[/name_f] is almost prettier, because it looks different. I’m from Singapore, and I have met two women in their 50s named [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u], and they say eve-lyn (could this be a more British way of saying it?). Growing up I’d also heard it said that way, whereas with [name_f]Evalyn[/name_f] I don’t think my family in particular has even seen it, so I thought it might possibly be easier to teach them to say, since it’s teaching them a new name rather than changing the pronunciation of one they already know. When I saw [name_f]Evalyn[/name_f] I didn’t read it eve-uh-lyn in my head, but I can see that now, and it doesn’t look all that appealing anymore.
Anyone decide against a name because it’s too popular though? I have a creeping feeling this might happen here. /:
Yeah, I can see the downsides to popularity but I think in this case, [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] is not so ultra-popular that you will be meeting little Evelyns everywhere. #20 in 2013 isn’t so bad, even if it bumps up several spots in the near term. My [name_u]James[/name_u], born in 2004 (when that name was #17), is always the only [name_u]James[/name_u] in his class even accounting for nicknames (although I’m sure it’s very dependent on where you live). I personally wouldn’t worry TOO much about popularity unless we’re talking Top 10 (or maybe even top 5) for practical purposes.
I automatically pronounce [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] as EV-uh-lin (“ev” like at the beginning of [name_u]Evan[/name_u]). If I saw [name_f]Evalyn[/name_f], I’d be less sure as to how to say it, and I might assume that it’s supposed to be the name [name_f]Eva[/name_f] plus “lyn”, and thus I might think it’s supposed to be EEV-uh-lyn. So I think in addition to it looking like you wanted a “unique” spelling, [name_f]Evalyn[/name_f] would be more confusing for a lot of people to pronounce. I agree - stick with the [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] spelling.
I pronounce [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] as ev-uh-lyn. I wouldn’t alter the spelling, it looks tacky and if the entire purpose is to make the pronunciation easier it will miss the mark. You’ll still have pronunciation issues on top of spelling issues. I would spell it [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] and just correct the few people who pronounce it incorrectly.
With the pronunciation that you want, stick with [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u]. I would be more like to pronounce [name_f]Evalyn[/name_f] as [name_f]Eva[/name_f]-lyn (E like in [name_u]Eagle[/name_u]). Plus it looks trendy. [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] is classic and absolutely gorgeous. It’s in my top 5 favorite names. I think you and your hubby should use it if you both love it that much. [name_m]Don[/name_m]'t let popularity keep you from using the name you love.
