Eve is an English given name for a female, derived from the Latin name Eva, in turn originating with the Hebrew חַוָּה (Chavah/Havah – chavah, to breathe, and chayah, to live, or to give life). The traditional meaning of Eve is life or "living". It can also mean full of life and mother of life.
History
The name has much religious significance in the Abrahamic religions. Eve, according to Abrahamic tradition, is widely beloved as the mother of all of mankind. She was the first woman that God created, and she was both the wife and companion of Adam.
Eve is described as being named Havah in the Torah.
The Catholic Church by ancient tradition recognizes both Adam and Eve (in Latin: Adam et Eva) as saints. And the traditional liturgical feast of Saints Adam and Eve was celebrated on December 24 since the Middle Ages.[citation needed] Eve is first found as a name being used in England in the 12th century. However, the name did not gain much popularity until the Protestant Reformation. As discussed in Kathleen M. Crowther's Adam and Eve in the Protestant Reformation: "The story of Adam and Eve, ubiquitous in the art and literature of the period, played a central role in the religious controversies of sixteenth-century Europe... The story of Adam and Eve was of fundamental importance to sixteenth-century Protestant reformers who sought to ground Christian belief and salvation in the free grace of God..."
In pre-Reformation England the usage of the name Eve was most commonly associated with Jews, who used the form of Chavah/Havah. The name in the form of Haya[1] (also spelled Haiya, Chaya, or less commonly, Kaya[2]) and Haim are also derived from the root of Chavah/Havah; all variations being commonly found throughout the world, especially the Middle East, to this day. Famous examples of individuals with such names are Princess Haya of Jordan, Haim Saban, and Victor Raúl Haya de la Torre.
The name Evelyn itself is derived from Eve, and was one of the most popular names for girls between 1910 and 1930.[3]
