'Evenk' originates from Russian, specifically the word 'эвенк' (evenk), ultimately from the Evenki autonym 'evenki'.

'Evenki' was the self-name in the Tungusic language family; Russian borrowed it as 'эвенк' and English later adopted the form 'Evenk' (with variants 'Evenki', 'Ewenk').

Initially it referred primarily to the people (the self-designation); over time English use expanded to denote the language and to serve as an adjective relating to that people.