French variant of Evelyn, from Norman French Aveline, possibly meaning desired or life.
Evelyne is a French elaboration of Evelyn, a name with a notably tangled genealogy. Its most likely ancestor is the Norman French name Aveline, a diminutive of a Germanic root related to *avi* (meaning "life" or possibly "bird"). That Norman name was carried into England after the Conquest of 1066, where it evolved through Eveline and eventually Evelyn.
The connection to the Hebrew name Eve — Chava, meaning "life" — is frequently proposed and feels etymologically fitting, though linguists treat the lineage as parallel rather than direct. Evelyn spent centuries as a predominantly male surname-turned-first-name in England. The novelist Evelyn Waugh, born 1903, is perhaps the most famous example of the masculine usage; his first wife was also named Evelyn, leading their friends to call them "He-Evelyn" and "She-Evelyn."
This dual-gender history is unusual and gives the name a quietly androgynous history even as it settled firmly into feminine territory through the twentieth century. The French spelling Evelyne adds a particular elegance — the terminal *e* signals continental refinement and was fashionable in Francophone regions through the mid-twentieth century. Evelyne Bouix, the French actress, represents this classic Gallic usage. In the current era of revival names, Evelyne offers parents something that feels literary, a little old-fashioned in the best sense, and quietly sophisticated — distinct from the more common Evelyn while retaining all of its warmth.