Ava
Ava is a girls' name of Latin origin meaning “life, bird, guarantee.” It ranked #3 in the United States in 2025. Possibly a medieval Latin short form of names beginning with 'av-,' or related to the Germanic 'aval' meaning guarantee.
how do you pronounce Ava?
AY-vah
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Ava mean?
The name Ava means “life, bird, guarantee.” It comes from the Latin language tradition.
Possibly a medieval Latin short form of names beginning with 'av-,' or related to the Germanic 'aval' meaning guarantee. It may also be related to the Hebrew Chava (Eve). The name was notably revived by actress Ava Gardner and has dominated baby name charts in the 21st century.
where does the name Ava come from?
Ava has more than one plausible source and no settled answer. It may descend from the Latin avis, meaning bird, or from a Germanic root of uncertain sense, or it may be a softened form of Eve, from the Hebrew Chava meaning life. Modern parents generally reach for the life reading.
the history of Ava
A ninth-century Frankish nun called Ava is among the earliest recorded bearers, and the name stayed rare for centuries afterwards. Its modern career owes a good deal to the actress Ava Gardner, and it rose steeply from the late 1990s to reach the American top five by 2005, where it has largely remained.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2024 | #3 |
| 2023 | #3 |
| 2022 | #3 |
| 2021 | #3 |
| 2020 | #3 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
what are the nicknames and variants of Ava?
Nicknames
Variants around the world
who are famous people named Ava?
- Ava Gardner (actress)
- Ava DuVernay (filmmaker)
- Ava Max (singer)
what names are similar to Ava?
what names go well with Ava?
Sibling names that share Ava's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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