This post contains affiliate links.
At a Glance: Name: Ava – Meaning: most often treated as a variant of Eva/Hebrew Chava, meaning 'life'; alternatively explained as an anglicized form of Irish Aoife or from an obscure Germanic root – Origin: disputed (Hebrew, Irish, or Germanic) – Gender: Girl – Pronunciation: AY-vah
Ava is pronounced AY-vah (/ˈeɪvə/). You may have come across the claim that it means 'bird,' from the Latin avis, but that's not supported by any source. It's most often treated as a variant of Eva, from the Hebrew Chava, meaning 'life' — though some trace it instead to the Irish Aoife or an obscure Germanic root, so the exact origin remains disputed.
Meaning & Origin of Ava
Meaning: Most often treated as a variant of eva/hebrew chava, meaning 'life'; alternatively explained as an anglicized form of irish aoife or from an obscure germanic root.
Origin: disputed (Hebrew, Irish, or Germanic).
A common claim: Ava is widely believed to mean 'bird,' from the Latin avis. Actually: That's a folk association not supported by any source — Ava's true origin is disputed, and it's most often treated as a variant of Eva, meaning 'life.'
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Ava
Phonetic: AY-vah IPA: /ˈeɪvə/
Popularity of Ava
Ava ranked #9 among girls' names in 2024, with 8,662 babies given the name, down from its peak of #3 in 2016, when 16,347 girls were named Ava.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1880–2024.
Make Ava Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Ava, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Ava mean?
Most often treated as a variant of eva/hebrew chava, meaning ‘life’; alternatively explained as an anglicized form of irish aoife or from an obscure germanic root. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Ava)
How do you pronounce Ava?
Ava is pronounced AY-vah (IPA: /ˈeɪvə/).
Is Ava a popular name right now?
Ava peaked at #3 in 2016 and is ranked #9 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2024.)
📊 How popular is Ava? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
🎲 Think you know your baby names? Take the quiz!
🎨 Get Printable Name Art for Ava
Beautiful nursery-ready 8×10" print with name & meaning
Preview & Download →More Baby Name Inspiration
📱 The Baby Names app is here
Swipe names, match with your partner the moment you both say yes, and claim a free Name Art print of your winner. Free to download. See all our apps →
