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No, it is definitely feminine to me, and once a name is seen as that, it is hard to use for a boy. Interestingly enough, a "masculine" unisex name can be used for a girl.

I actually like Evelyn (pronounced EEV-lin) a lot for a boy. I associate with one of my favourite authors, the (male) Evelyn Waugh. Unfortunately, it's now mostly seen as feminine which might cause some problems, but I'd say that Evelyn, Avery, Ashley and Vivian are ready to make a comeback for boys. Some middle name ideas:

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Evelyn Ambrose
Evelyn Avery
Evelyn Charles
Evelyn Clair
Evelyn Clement
Evelyn Francis
Evelyn Horatio
Evelyn Isaac
Evelyn James
Evelyn Jonah
Evelyn Laurence / Lawrence
Evelyn Lewis / Louis
Evelyn Maximilian / Maximillian
Evelyn Meredith
Evelyn Peregrine
Evelyn Raphael
Evelyn Sebastian
Evelyn Sinclair
Evelyn Sterling
Evelyn Thaddeus
Evelyn Timothy

This message was edited 7/24/2019, 4:12 AM

I don't like it for a boy, and Evelyn is on the rise for girls at the moment. Too feminine

Honestly I don’t like it. I guess it’s technically unisex, but it doesn’t sound like it at all. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it on a boy. Evelyn always sounded like an old lady name.

This message was edited 7/23/2019, 6:08 PM

I don't think masculine when I see it, but I guess Ev is androgynous enough.
...just curious, what do you think of Evren or Yves?

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Evelyn Ivanhoe
Evelyn Sennacherib
Evelyn Pearl
Evelyn Wulfric
Evelyn Ira
Evelyn Isaac
Evelyn Jericho
Evelyn Bruce
Evelyn Patrick
Evelyn Gerald
Evelyn Roger
Evelyn George
Evelyn Walter
Evelyn Jesse
Evelyn Francis
Evelyn Cyrus
Evelyn Fernando
Evelyn Quest
Evelyn Fortunato
Evelyn Prosper
Evelyn Orlando
Evelyn Amos
Evelyn Cedric
Evelyn Caradoc
Evelyn Demetrius
Evelyn Orion
Evelyn Hunter
Evelyn Daniel

... Load Full Message

This message was edited 7/23/2019, 3:29 PM

1. I do not want to badmouth your choice, it is just what came to my mind reading your message:

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Honestly, I do not consider Evelyn as androgynous. I know, it is a unisex name. And I somehow like the idea, that it could make a comback as a name for boys. I really like Evelyn. But it was not used as a boys name for decades (maybe centuries) and most of the people will not understand, that it is in fact a name for boys too. Like the name Shirley; it sounds strictly feminine to most of us, because we are used to it as a feminine name. Maybe your son will have a hard life with the FN Evelyn. (Like I said, I like Evelyn and I like the idea, but this is my concern about it.)

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2. MNs:
Evelyn James
Evelyn Dale
Evelyn Julius
Evelyn Luke
Evelyn Andrew
Evelyn Cole
Evelyn Lewis
Evelyn Paul
Evelyn Conrad
Evelyn Graham
Evelyn Elias
Evelyn Kyle
Evelyn Jared

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3. Because it is quite an interesting choice: what are the names of your older sons? :)

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4. Different unisex names I like: Darcy, Alexis, Morgan, Aviv, Riley, Evren, Phoenix.

I don't think Evelyn qualifies as "somewhat androgynous" anymore. It's technically unisex, and there's Evelyn Waugh - but I think it comes off feminine to virtually everyone, and it's so popular for girls right now, that I think it'd be more like naming a boy Fay than like naming one Avery or Harper.
I would recommend using Vivian instead. Or Valentine. But that's just me.

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Evelyn Clemence
Evelyn Phoenix
Evelyn Skyler

I actually did hear about a male Evelyn a while ago. I don't remember how old he was though, maybe 10 or so?
That said I agree with Theodora'sMommy. I also think that the ship has sailed, but support the use of Evelyn for boys. I wouldn't do it myself though.

I love Evelyn for a boy! Would you pronounce it like Evelyn Waugh did ("EVE-lin") or with three syllables?

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Evelyn Albert
Evelyn Ambrose
Evelyn Anselm
Evelyn Arthur
Evelyn Auberon
Evelyn Augustus
Evelyn Basil
Evelyn Benedict
Evelyn Bernard
Evelyn Caspar
Evelyn Charles
Evelyn Conrad
Evelyn Cosimo / Cosmo
Evelyn Dominic
Evelyn Edgar
Evelyn Edward
Evelyn Emmanuel
Evelyn Eustace
Evelyn Ezra
Evelyn Frederick
Evelyn George
Evelyn Gerard
Evelyn Gilbert
Evelyn Graham
Evelyn Gregor / Gregory
Evelyn Hector
Evelyn Homer
Evelyn Horace
Evelyn Hugo
Evelyn Hubert
Evelyn Humphrey
Evelyn Isaac
Evelyn Jacob
Evelyn Jeremy
Evelyn Jerome
Evelyn Louis
Evelyn Marcus
Evelyn Mateo
Evelyn Matthew
Evelyn Maxwell
Evelyn Miles
Evelyn Morris
Evelyn Oswald
Evelyn Otto
Evelyn Pascal
Evelyn Patrick
Evelyn Percy
Evelyn Raphael
Evelyn Rex
Evelyn Roald
Evelyn Roderick
Evelyn Roger
Evelyn Rupert
Evelyn Sebastian
Evelyn Silas
Evelyn Somerled
Evelyn Thomas
Evelyn Walter
Evelyn Wolfgang
Evelyn Wolfram

This message was edited 7/23/2019, 10:19 AM

Evelyn is definitely not making a comeback as a boys name, only 13 boys were named Evelyn last year according to the SSA data and over 10,000 girls. It would not be a good choice as a fn but could work as a mn.

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Alexander Evelyn
James Evelyn
William Evelyn
Sylvester Evelyn
Conrad Evelyn
Robert Evelyn
John Evelyn

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Other unisex names that would work as fns:

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Casey
Rowan
Cameron
Quinn
Tory
Tracy
Taylor
Kendall
Kennedy
Reagan
Regan
Riley
Emerson
Payton
Shiloh
Nova
Emory/ Emery
Fallon
Sloane/ Sloan
Bailey
Mckinley
Mackenzie
Morgan
Loren
Cary
Sky
Joss
Rene
Ainsley
Avery
Journey
Addison
Madison
Marley
Marlowe
Lyric
Harper
Harlow

I agree with the opinion of the majority. Evelyn on a boy just isn't a very good idea.
I suggest Everett instead. Or perhaps Evan or Franklyn.

Unfortunately I think the ship has sailed on it making a comeback for boys, but I’d still support your decision to use it. Since you already have experience giving boys androgynous names, you’re probably well prepped for any criticism, and it’s a very nice name. But he will be the only one.

Evelyn is currently in the top 10 for girls in the US, and hasn't charted for boys since 1930. It's not going to register as androgynous name.

Go for it. How about Evelyn Kyle?

Where is it making a comeback for boys?
Because it is extremely popular for girls here in the US, and has never been anything even approaching popular or even occasional for boys.
Do this one a favor and name him something else.