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A name that is so singularly associated with a single person is always going to be icky to me, and however much I enjoy the musical, this one is no different.

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I could see it working as a nickname, I guess? But it wouldn't be where my head would go.

I like Evita. I think it's a pretty name and would be fine in the USA.

I think it's acceptable in the USA, but it's also strongly tied to Evita Perón and the musical. In fact, the name charted in the States for the first and last time (as of now; perhaps it'll chart again in the future) a couple of years after the premiere of the musical.

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I think it's a stretch as a nickname for Evangeline, but it sounds fine for Eva.

Madonna's best acting performance. "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" brings me to tears every time. But on a serious note: almost strange to think of it as a usable name still since it feels so tied to Eva Perón and Evita the musical. Though cultures that use Evita more often probably find it more ordinary.

This message was edited 4/23/2025, 9:28 PM

I'm Italian and I know an Evita!,It's pretty rare even there,I remember her mother said she named her like this because the name reminded her of vita=life in italian.
It's not on my name list also because with the accent on another letter it means he/she/you "avoid" but it's a pretty name and I dont think it would be a problem in any way in the USA

I don't see anything wrong with it, so I presume it is acceptable. I think that it's lovely as a full name, but it could also work as a nickname for Evangeline.

This message was edited 4/23/2025, 3:41 PM

It would be perfectly fine to use, but I think the association with the musical/movie is still really strong in most people's minds, so an Evita would get a lot of "don't cry for me Argentina" jokes. People might assume an Evita's parents are musical theatre geeks.

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Evita could be used as a full name, but technically it is a nickname or affectionate diminutive of Eva. So it would work for Evangeline too.

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It would be fine for a character too, but because Evita is so strongly tied to one person who already is a famous "character" in theatre and movies, if you use it you'd have to be aware of that connection. It would be like naming a character Elvis, Beyonce, Keanu, or Kermit, it's not just like any other name. It might be distracting or seen as some kind of joke.

Definitely acceptable, though some people will associate the musical. It sounds a bit old-fashioned to me (since there was an *ita trend in the US in the first half of the 1900s, some examples being Rita, Juanita, Bonita), but it also fits in with Evie or Evelyn "Evie" which is popular now. I think it'd work as a NN for Evangeline, although I'd more expect it as a NN for Eva or used by itself.

This message was edited 4/23/2025, 10:06 AM

Evita was a nickname. Her name was Maria Eva Duarte de Peron (on my phone and it won’t let me add the correct accent). It could work as a nickname for other names that start Ev like Evangeline or Evelyn.

Evangeline is one of my all-time favorites. I prefer Eva for a real person, but it would make a good character name. I like in the US and I've never heard of it.

This message was edited 4/23/2025, 9:16 AM

I love the musical, but I love Rice and Lloyd Webber any time of the day or night. But it is the only association I have with Evita, so right now I'm hearing Don't Cry for Me, Argentina in my head. I'm not American, and from the outside looking in, I don't think many names are unacceptable there: certainly, most names get used sooner or later. In the musical, the female lead is Eva Peron, who is an ambitious girl from a country town who rises to be the wife of Juan Peron, the president of Argentina: I recommend it. She isn't the kind of stellar character one would willingly name one's daughter after, but Eva, Eve or Evelyn, nn Evita, could work though I don't think a nn is necessary; those names can stand alone.