Evangelina is a Greek-Latin compound — from euangelion (good news, gospel) with a Latin feminine suffix. It means, essentially, "bearer of good news" or "she who brings the gospel." With about 10,121 SSA records and a 2012 peak, Evangelina is the longer, more elaborate cousin of Evangeline — both names carry profound religious weight wrapped in syllables that sound like a melody.
Greek-Latin Religious Roots
The Greek word euangelion — good news ; gave Christianity one of its most fundamental terms: the evangelion (gospel), the evangelist (gospel-writer), and names like Evangeline, Evangelina, and Eva. Greek-origin names from Christian tradition (Evangeline, Angela, Christiana) carry this quality of being simultaneously ancient, religious, and beautiful-sounding in ways that work across secular and faith communities. Evangelina doesn't require its bearer to identify as religious ; the sound carries the name's appeal independently of the etymology.
Longfellow's Evangeline and the Literary Layer
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 1847 poem Evangeline ; about an Acadian woman separated from her betrothed during the British expulsion of the French Acadians ; gave the Evang- root a distinctly American literary presence. The poem was enormously popular in the nineteenth century and contributed to the name's appearance in American naming records. Evangeline (without the final -ina) is currently more popular and carries the Longfellow association more directly; Evangelina is the fuller Italian-Spanish form, more common in Latin American communities.
The Counter-Reading: Six Syllables Is a Commitment
Evangelina is six syllables long. That is among the longest commonly-used given names in American practice. Eva, Evie, and Lina are all natural short forms, which means the child will almost certainly go by a nickname from early childhood. Parents who choose Evangelina should decide which short form they prefer ; because if they don't choose, someone else will. Compare Evangelina and Evangeline to see the Italian-suffix and French-suffix forms of the same name tracked separately in US data.