The Meaning of Her Name

Evangeline Elif.

Gregory and I fell in love with the first name, Evangeline, our first year of marriage when we read, Uncle Tom's Cabin together.  Not only did we like the name, but the character in the book made a significant impact on us.  I like the following author's description of her:

"...Evangeline St. Clare, a young angelic girl. Evangeline, being only a young child, is full of innocence and life; she demonstrates throughout the novel an unshakably Christian sense of morality and unrelenting compassion."  (source: http://scholar-works.blogspot.co.at/2011/05/uncle-toms-cabin-evangeline-as-stowes.html)

In the book, Evangeline is deeply concerned about the salvation of all those around her, regardless of their skin color or background.  She is full of compassion and longs for all to know the love and forgiveness of Jesus.

The name is derived from the Latin word "evangelium,"  or Greek, "euangelion," meaning "gospel" or "good news".  The name basically means, "Bearer of Good News."

After settling on this name for our daughter, we also read Henry Longfellow's narrative poem, Evangeline.  It is a beautiful, romantic poem of lost and found love in the midst of the Expulsion of the Acadians.

Evangeline's nickname is Eva, the German version of "Eve."

Elif, her middle name, is a very common Turkish girl's name.  We desired a Turkish middle name for our daughter, just as our son has a Turkish middle name.  Turkey and the Turkish people are a significant part of our story, in meeting one another and in how God has formed both of us and in bringing us to where we are today.  We desire our children to be a part of the story and hold on to a piece of our love for Turks in their names.  Elif is a beautiful Turkish name, especially when a Turk pronounces it!

We have had a more difficult time coming up with a consensus on the meaning of Elif.  The word itself is the Turkish pronunciation of the first letter of the Arabic alphabet.  Here are a few meanings for the name that we have found or heard more consistently:  (1) slender, straight, or true -- as the first letter of the Arabic alphabet is a long, thin, slender line, (2) friendship, love and amicability, and similarly (3) that which is familiar or friendly, something to which one has become accustomed.

The name has a sense of belonging and comfortableness, whether we go with the origins of the name as the Arabic letter, or the other meanings having to do with friendship and familiarity.

Thus our Evangeline Elif.

Read about the meaning of Nathanael Alim here.