Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Ava

It’s difficult to pinpoint the etymology of the name Ava, so the only thing we can say for sure is that the origin is uncertain. The roots are thought to be Germanic, using the short form of various female names containing the element “avi” which possibly means “desired”. It could also be associated with the Latin “avis” meaning “bird, birdlike”. Additionally, Ava may have been coined as a later version of Eve which comes from the Hebrew name "Havva" (from “hayya”) meaning “life, lively”. The name Ava also means “voice, sound” in Persian. The earliest Ava we could find who may have played some role in bringing prominence to the name among medieval Europeans was a 9th century saint. St. Ava was born into nobility as the daughter of the Frankish King Pepin of Aquitaine. She was purportedly and miraculously cured of blindness before becoming a Benedictine nun. Her feast day is April 29. Another illustrious Ava from the Middle Ages was a 11/12th century German poet Frau Ava of Melk who is considered the first female writer of any genre in her language. Today, Ava is a very popular name among English speakers throughout the world. It’s a top 10 choice for girls in the United States, Canada, Scotland, Ireland and Australia. It is also a Top 20 in England and Northern Ireland.

All About the Baby Name – Ava

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME AVA

Romance is the hallmark of the Six personality. They exude nurturing, loving, and caring energy. Sixes are in love with the idea of love in its idealized form - and with their magnetic personalities, they easily draw people toward them. Like the number Two personality, they seek balance and harmony in their life and the world at large. They are conscientious and service-oriented, and a champion for the underdog. These personalities naturally attract money and are usually surrounded by lovely material objects - but their human relationships are always primary. They thrive in giving back to others rather than being motivated by their own desires. This is when they achieve great things. Sixes are natural teachers, ministers and counselors.

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME AVA

The “Ava” graph of popularity in the United States is one of the more unusual ones we’ve seen. Even though the name has been around and in use for over a century, Ava was not super common during most of the 20th century. The name saw a little bump up the charts from the mid-1940s to the mid-1950s thanks to the popularity of American actress Ava Gardner, but the appeal was brief. By the end of the 1950s, Ava was dropping like rocks, and for about 20 years (1970-1990), the name could barely hold a place on the charts. Then seemingly out of nowhere, Ava reversed her course and started to make monumental jumps up the popularity charts. By 2005, Ava successfully landed a spot on the Top 10 list of most commonly used girl names in the country. This growth in popularity was fast and furious. It seems apparent that the name’s appeal was influenced by two well-liked celebrities who named their daughters Ava: Heather Locklear (1997) and Reese Witherspoon (1999). Ava is a daintily pretty yet “lively” name; a minimalistic two-syllable moniker that’s both easy to say and easy to spell. It has a decidedly softer sound to it than Eva and it comes well-equipped with understated beauty.

Quick Facts

ON AVA

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

5

PRONUNCIATION:

A-va

SIMPLE MEANING:

Birdlike, lively

Characteristics

OF AVA

Humanitarian

Community-minded

Family-oriented

Loving

Affectionate

Compassionate

Sensitive

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Ava

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME AVA

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Ava

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME AVA

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Ava


Popular Songs

ON AVA

Ava Maria
a popular and much-recorded song

Ava Adore
a song by Smashing Pumpkins

Famous People

NAMED AVA

Ava Gardener (1940's film star)

Children of Famous People

NAMED AVA

Reese Witherspoon;

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME AVA

Ava Gardner is still considered one of the greatest actresses of American film. She was born the last of seven children to poor North Carolina farmers. Life was a struggle for the young Ava and her family, but her story is one of Hollywood lore. After high school, Ava visited her older sister in New York City. The sister’s husband happened to be a photographer and took Ava’s picture. It was so lovely that he hung it in the front window where her image was discovered by a talent scout. Ava began her career with MGM Studios in the early 1940s before the age of twenty, but it wasn’t until she was featured in a 1946 film noir “The Killers” that she gained national notice. He career was long and illustrious lasting through the 1970s, but she was also famous for her high profile (but brief) marriages to Mickey Rooney, Artie Shaw and Frank Sinatra (as well as a long-lasting relationship with the neurotic Howard Hughes). Ava died of emphysema at the early age of 67.