Meaning & History
Evangeline is a poetic name meaning 'good news,' derived from the Greek elements eu ('good') and angelma ('news, message'). Its creation is credited to American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who first used the name in his 1847 epic poem Evangeline, A Tale of Acadie. The poem tells the story of an Acadian girl named Evangeline who searches for her lost love Gabriel during the expulsion of the Acadians (1755–1764). Longfellow's choice of dactylic hexameter imitated Greek and Latin classics, and though initially criticized, the poem became his most famous work in his lifetime and remains one of his most enduring.
Cultural Significance
The poem had a powerful effect in defining Acadian history and identity in the 19th and 20th centuries. Evangeline represents lost loved ones and heartbreak while also embodying hope. The name also appears in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) as the full name of the character Eva, further solidifying its literary associations. Variants include the Latinate Evangelina, and cognates in other languages: Evangeliya (Bulgarian), Evangelia (Greek), Evi (Greek short form), Evangelija (Macedonian), Vangelija (Macedonian), and Evangelista (Spanish).
- Meaning: 'good news' (Greek)
- Origin: Literary coinage by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- Type: First name
- Usage Regions: English-speaking world
Related Names
Sources: Wikipedia — Evangeline