Advertisement
Baby Name SearchMy Baby Names

Ava Baby girl name meaning, origin, and popularity

Ava name meaning and origin

Ava's origin is uncertain, but it 's widely suspected to be the diminutive of several medieval German names beginning with the element av, which may have meant "desire." That said, this short and elegant name, pronounced "AY-vah," could well have roots in Persian, Urdu, Hebrew, and Latin as well.

In both Persian and Urdu, Ava means "voice." In Hebrew, the name Chavah means "life." In Latin, avis means "bird," and, unexpectedly, avo (pronounced ay-vaw) means "grandmother." Ava is also a place name – the name of both an ancient capital of Myanmar and a city in Missouri.

The name Ava seems to have been popular (or at least esteemed) in medieval times. A ninth-century saint named Ava and an 11th-century feminist icon nicknamed "Frau Ava" – the first female poet on record in Germany – are proof of the longevity of this name.

After centuries in obscurity, Ava surfaced as a popular girl's name in the mid-20th century thanks to luminous actress Ava Gardner. Gardner, who died in 1990, was a leading lady in the 1950s known for her stunning beauty and tempestuous personal life.

Ava fell off the Social Security Administration 's list of popular baby names in the mid-1970s but began to blossom again in the late '90s. A few celebrity-related trends may have brought Ava back into the spotlight. Actress Heather Locklear and Bon Jovi band guitarist Richie Sambora welcomed daughter Ava in 1997, the band Smashing Pumpkins released their single "Ava Adore" in 1998, and actors Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe had their baby Ava in 1999.

These days, celebrity babies named Ava abound, including the daughters of Coldplay drummer Will Champion and actor Hugh Jackman.

Ava 's popularity also makes sense because the name hits on several hot baby-naming trends: It's a classic name that sounds modern, it 's short, and it has soft vowel sounds.

Ava reached top-ten status on the Social Security Administration's list in 2005, and has been in the top five baby names for American girls ever since. The name is equally popular among BabyCenter parents: It 's usually number three or four on our list. (BabyCenter's ranking is based on data from hundreds of thousands of parents who share their baby 's name with us.)

Ava is almost always used as a girl's name. Variations of this graceful name include, Aiva, Avah, Avalon, Eabha, Eva, Eve, Avis, Aveline, Avalinka, Avelyn, Avalynn, Avis, Eveline, Avisa, Avina, and Avelina.

Ava name popularity

Popularity over time

babies per million
Source: Social Security Administration & BabyCenter user data

Ava in pop culture

Ava
2020 film starring Jessica Chastain as Ava Faulkner
Ava
Android in the film Ex Machina, played by Alicia Vikander
Ava Ayala
White Tiger character in Marvel Comics Avengers Academy series
Ava Benton
Character played by Leven Rambin on the daytime drama All My Children
Ava Jerome
Character played by Maura West on the daytime drama General Hospital
Ava Peralta
Character played by Michelle Ray Smith on the daytime drama Guiding Light
Ava Vitali
Character played by Tamara Braun on the daytime drama Days of Our Lives
Ava Moore
Character played by Famke Janssen in the American Television drama series Nip/ Tuck
Advertisement | page continues below

Famous people named Ava

Saint Ava
10-century saint; member of the Frankish royal family
Ava von Melk
Medieval poet also known as Frau Ava; first woman poet on record in Germany
Ava Helen Pauling
American human rights activist, advocated for human rights and nuclear disarmament
Ava Marie DuVernay
American filmmaker, first black woman to direct an Oscar-nominated film: Selma
Ava Gardner
American actress for more than three decades
Ava Leigh
English reggae singer born Hayley Carline in 1995
Ava Lowle Willing
Philadelphia-born American socialite

Similar names to Ava

like Ava? What about:

Common sibling names

Sisters

Brothers

Baby name lists including Ava

Baby Names A-Z

Advertisement | page continues below

Baby Names Generator

Our Baby Name Generator helps you find the perfect name, sorted by gender, letter, meaning, and more. You don't need to fill out every field, just the ones you're interested in.

About the name structure

I am looking for a    name starting with  
  and ending with  
  with    syllables.

About the name meaning

The name means  
  and the theme is    . The origin is    .

Learn more about a name

Follow your baby's amazing development
My pregnancy week by week
Advertisement