French variant of Yvonne, feminine of Yves, from Germanic 'iv' meaning yew wood.
Evonne is a variant of Yvonne, the French feminine form of Yves, which derives from the Old Germanic element *iv* or *ivo*, meaning the yew tree. The yew was not merely a tree in the Germanic world—it was the material of the longbow, associated with both death and endurance, and its near-immortal lifespan gave it mystical significance across Celtic and Germanic traditions. Yves became a popular Breton and French given name, and Yvonne its natural feminine counterpart, spreading across francophone Europe and eventually into English-speaking countries through French cultural influence.
Evonne's most celebrated bearer is without question Evonne Goolagong Cawley, the Australian tennis champion of Aboriginal Wiradjuri heritage who won Wimbledon in 1971 and again in 1980—the latter victory making her the first mother to win the Championships since 1914. Goolagong Cawley became one of the most beloved athletes in Australian history, and her distinctive given name, spelling and all, became inseparable from her graceful, seemingly effortless playing style. She was appointed to the Order of Australia and remains an icon of both sporting excellence and indigenous pride.
The spelling Evonne—shifting the Y to an E—gives the name a slightly more intuitive English pronunciation while retaining the French-derived elegance of the original. It occupied a quiet corner of English-speaking baby-name culture through the mid-twentieth century, more common in Australia and Britain than in America. Today it carries the particular glamour of names that peaked just outside mainstream consciousness: recognizable, graceful, and associated with a singular remarkable woman whose legacy keeps the name vivid.