Can't comment on
Evangeline Lilly, never having heard of her ... and it's just about impossible for an outsider to comment on anything as huge and varied as the USA, but
Eva is also getting a lot of attention on polls, so people are clearly liking the sound of it.
An outsider's perception is that, for whatever reason, biblical and religion-related names seem to be more popular than usual, including some previously uncommon ones like
Elijah and
Isaac: OK, that's boys, but for girls there's
Sarah,
Rachel,
Rebecca, Eve/Eva and then the fringe ones like
Grace,
Faith,
Trinity,
Eden and the ineffable
Nevaeh. Could it be a pattern? And could
Evangeline be part of it?
My mother knew a woman, born in the nineteen-teens or -twenties, named
Evangeline and known as Vangie. Perhaps the cycle is complete and the world is ready for Evangelines again ... and even the musician
Vangelis could have helped to get people used to the sound of it.
Interesting question!