Fun Facts About the Name Ava
- A newer favorite: Ava first entered the U.S. top 100 in 2002 and stayed there through 2025 - a run of 24 consecutive years.
- More than 344 thousand babies named Ava: U.S. records list 344,347 babies given the name Ava from 1880 through 2025. Even 343 boys received the name Ava - about 1 boy for every 1,003 girls.
What Does the Name Ava Mean?
Ava is short and has more than one independent origin, so its meaning depends on which one is meant. In English use it is often treated as a form of Eva, the Latin spelling of Eve, from the Hebrew name Ḥawwāh. That name is traditionally explained as "life" or "living one," from a Hebrew root meaning "to live," though the etymology is not fully settled. A separate Germanic name Ava was also used on the European continent; its meaning is not securely known, and it may be a short form of longer names beginning with an element such as avi-. A third, unrelated source is the Persian Āvā (آوا), meaning "voice" or "sound." The bird meaning sometimes attached to Ava belongs instead to the similar name Avis, from Latin avis, "bird," which is not related.
Ava Name History & Origins
Records from different parts of medieval Europe show the name Ava, though they may not all refer to the same name. In Frankish and German regions a nun named Ava lived in the 9th century; she is venerated as a saint and is traditionally described as a noblewoman who became a nun at Dinant after being cured of blindness. A later German writer, Ava of Melk (died about 1127), composed a verse account of the life of John the Baptist and the Last Judgment and is often called the earliest named woman poet writing in German.
In medieval England, Ava was used as a woman's name and is generally understood there as a form of Eva, or Eve. The spelling is a variant of the Latin form used in that period rather than a separate name with its own sense.
Persian speakers use Āvā as a given name meaning "voice" or "sound"; this use is independent of the European name.
In the 20th century the name became familiar in the English-speaking world; the American actress Ava Gardner (1922 - 1990) was a widely known bearer. The name also appears on later fictional characters, such as the title character of the 2020 film Ava.
How Popular is the Name Ava?
Ava recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2007. Ava entered the top 100 U.S. girl names in 2002.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #11 | 7,732 | 0.4811% |
| 2024 | #9 | 8,662 | 0.5369% |
| 2023 | #8 | 9,724 | 0.6067% |
| 2022 | #7 | 11,105 | 0.6776% |
| 2021 | #5 | 12,867 | 0.7847% |
| 2020 | #3 | 13,197 | 0.8169% |
| 2019 | #3 | 14,544 | 0.8670% |
| 2018 | #3 | 15,028 | 0.8838% |
| 2017 | #3 | 16,015 | 0.9279% |
| 2016 | #3 | 16,347 | 0.9228% |
| 2015 | #4 | 16,410 | 0.9195% |
| 2014 | #5 | 15,725 | 0.8805% |
| 2013 | #5 | 15,271 | 0.8704% |
| 2012 | #5 | 15,548 | 0.8830% |
| 2011 | #5 | 15,514 | 0.8821% |
| 2010 | #5 | 15,442 | 0.8688% |
| 2009 | #5 | 15,877 | 0.8644% |
| 2008 | #5 | 17,050 | 0.9018% |
| 2007 | #4 | 18,053 | 0.9391% |
| 2006 | #5 | 16,941 | 0.8911% |
| 2005 | #9 | 13,606 | 0.7364% |
| 2004 | #25 | 8,645 | 0.4708% |
| 2003 | #39 | 6,280 | 0.3437% |
| 2002 | #82 | 3,751 | 0.2088% |
| 2001 | #132 | 2,539 | 0.1410% |
| 2000 | #180 | 1,796 | 0.0989% |
| 1999 | #259 | 1,215 | 0.0685% |
| 1998 | #350 | 831 | 0.0470% |
| 1997 | #618 | 362 | 0.0208% |
| 1996 | #740 | 285 | 0.0163% |
| 1995 | #735 | 279 | 0.0159% |
| 1994 | #752 | 276 | 0.0155% |
| 1993 | #734 | 286 | 0.0158% |
| 1992 | #835 | 239 | 0.0130% |
| 1991 | #847 | 236 | 0.0126% |
| 1990 | #950 | 198 | 0.0104% |
| 1989 | #986 | 175 | 0.0095% |
| 1988 | #986 | 167 | 0.0094% |
| 1987 | #928 | 177 | 0.0102% |
| 1986 | #947 | 167 | 0.0097% |
| 1985 | #1,084 | 134 | 0.0078% |
| 1984 | #988 | 146 | 0.0087% |
| 1983 | #1,200 | 107 | 0.0064% |
| 1982 | #1,222 | 109 | 0.0064% |
| 1981 | #1,123 | 123 | 0.0074% |
| 1980 | #1,183 | 113 | 0.0068% |
| 1979 | #1,047 | 133 | 0.0083% |
| 1978 | #1,031 | 132 | 0.0086% |
| 1977 | #1,191 | 103 | 0.0067% |
| 1976 | #1,182 | 96 | 0.0066% |
| 1975 | #973 | 127 | 0.0087% |
| 1974 | #950 | 130 | 0.0089% |
| 1973 | #1,059 | 109 | 0.0075% |
| 1972 | #848 | 153 | 0.0101% |
| 1971 | #849 | 161 | 0.0097% |
| 1970 | #789 | 177 | 0.0101% |
| 1969 | #784 | 171 | 0.0101% |
| 1968 | #744 | 177 | 0.0108% |
| 1967 | #736 | 176 | 0.0107% |
| 1966 | #695 | 199 | 0.0118% |
| 1965 | #650 | 227 | 0.0129% |
| 1964 | #610 | 268 | 0.0141% |
| 1963 | #603 | 274 | 0.0142% |
| 1962 | #618 | 263 | 0.0134% |
| 1961 | #631 | 262 | 0.0130% |
| 1960 | #532 | 327 | 0.0162% |
| 1959 | #528 | 337 | 0.0167% |
| 1958 | #492 | 378 | 0.0188% |
| 1957 | #456 | 432 | 0.0211% |
| 1956 | #401 | 509 | 0.0254% |
| 1955 | #388 | 508 | 0.0260% |
| 1954 | #376 | 540 | 0.0278% |
| 1953 | #394 | 462 | 0.0246% |
| 1952 | #435 | 388 | 0.0209% |
| 1951 | #426 | 384 | 0.0213% |
| 1950 | #469 | 299 | 0.0175% |
| 1949 | #534 | 240 | 0.0140% |
| 1948 | #593 | 197 | 0.0116% |
| 1947 | #604 | 199 | 0.0112% |
| 1946 | #703 | 131 | 0.0083% |
| 1945 | #842 | 80 | 0.0061% |
| 1944 | #801 | 91 | 0.0069% |
| 1943 | #742 | 109 | 0.0078% |
| 1942 | #649 | 132 | 0.0098% |
| 1941 | #757 | 89 | 0.0074% |
| 1940 | #802 | 78 | 0.0068% |
| 1939 | #717 | 90 | 0.0082% |
| 1938 | #764 | 83 | 0.0075% |
| 1937 | #634 | 114 | 0.0107% |
| 1936 | #620 | 113 | 0.0109% |
| 1935 | #621 | 109 | 0.0104% |
| 1934 | #564 | 129 | 0.0124% |
| 1933 | #592 | 119 | 0.0118% |
| 1932 | #541 | 145 | 0.0136% |
| 1931 | #561 | 136 | 0.0128% |
| 1930 | #571 | 142 | 0.0126% |
| 1929 | #588 | 135 | 0.0121% |
| 1928 | #605 | 135 | 0.0117% |
| 1927 | #599 | 141 | 0.0118% |
| 1926 | #547 | 164 | 0.0138% |
| 1925 | #560 | 164 | 0.0135% |
| 1924 | #587 | 157 | 0.0126% |
| 1923 | #546 | 173 | 0.0143% |
| 1922 | #567 | 160 | 0.0133% |
| 1921 | #537 | 177 | 0.0144% |
| 1920 | #515 | 184 | 0.0154% |
| 1919 | #547 | 159 | 0.0141% |
| 1918 | #529 | 174 | 0.0150% |
| 1917 | #492 | 180 | 0.0166% |
| 1916 | #467 | 186 | 0.0178% |
| 1915 | #471 | 171 | 0.0174% |
| 1914 | #434 | 156 | 0.0205% |
| 1913 | #478 | 112 | 0.0179% |
| 1912 | #483 | 98 | 0.0176% |
| 1911 | #438 | 86 | 0.0206% |
| 1910 | #451 | 79 | 0.0199% |
| 1909 | #543 | 49 | 0.0141% |
| 1908 | #474 | 58 | 0.0173% |
| 1907 | #481 | 55 | 0.0173% |
| 1906 | #437 | 62 | 0.0210% |
| 1905 | #464 | 53 | 0.0182% |
| 1904 | #463 | 50 | 0.0182% |
| 1903 | #429 | 55 | 0.0210% |
| 1902 | #502 | 40 | 0.0151% |
| 1901 | #435 | 46 | 0.0192% |
| 1900 | #418 | 65 | 0.0217% |
| 1899 | #438 | 44 | 0.0189% |
| 1898 | #423 | 53 | 0.0205% |
| 1897 | #453 | 42 | 0.0179% |
| 1896 | #467 | 38 | 0.0160% |
| 1895 | #379 | 54 | 0.0231% |
| 1894 | #367 | 58 | 0.0260% |
| 1893 | #394 | 46 | 0.0216% |
| 1892 | #360 | 54 | 0.0254% |
| 1891 | #388 | 41 | 0.0221% |
| 1890 | #362 | 49 | 0.0257% |
| 1889 | #362 | 44 | 0.0247% |
| 1888 | #375 | 41 | 0.0230% |
| 1887 | #360 | 36 | 0.0247% |
| 1886 | #418 | 27 | 0.0187% |
| 1885 | #503 | 18 | 0.0135% |
| 1884 | #350 | 32 | 0.0248% |
| 1883 | #331 | 29 | 0.0258% |
| 1882 | #390 | 21 | 0.0195% |
| 1881 | #394 | 18 | 0.0196% |
| 1880 | #468 | 13 | 0.0143% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #9,807 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2023 | #12,421 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2022 | #8,381 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2021 | #8,910 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2020 | #7,075 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2018 | #7,669 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2017 | #6,358 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2016 | #7,188 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2015 | #4,905 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2014 | #5,756 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2013 | #5,182 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2012 | #4,705 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2011 | #5,219 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2010 | #5,268 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2009 | #4,290 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 2008 | #5,510 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2007 | #6,657 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2006 | #4,006 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 2005 | #3,393 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 2004 | #2,895 | 35 | 0.0018% |
| 2003 | #7,294 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2001 | #10,712 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1928 | #4,198 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1927 | #3,808 | 6 | 0.0005% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
