Name: Ava
Meaning: bird or “living one”
Origin: Latin (also Persian)
Current Popularity: #3
Ava was a “sweet spot” name for many years, lingering between 400 and 600 on the popularity charts for most of the past 100 years. That all changed in the early 2000s when Ava began its meteoric rise into the top 3 baby names for females, perhaps given a boost from the 1999 birth of Ava Phillippe, daughter of Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe. The name was already on the rise at that point, though, at a time when modern monikers like Alexis, Madison, and Taylor were at the top of the charts.
Nickname Potential: Mini-name Ava doesn’t really need a shorter form, but an Ava might be called Aves or Avies for short. Aviva, Avery, Avalon, or Avaline make pretty longer name options, if you wanted to use Ava itself as a nickname.
Associations: Actress Ava Gardner is probably still the name’s strongest association, but celebrity children have kept the name’s movie star connotations alive for a younger generation. Besides Ava Phillippe, Hugh Jackman’s daughter also shares the name Ava. There is also a religious association, of course: St. Ava, a Benedictine nun and abbess.
Similar Names: Eva, Elise, Celia, Emma, Alice, Ada, Audrey, Greta, Maeve, Clara, Cora, Vivian, Tessa
Why We Love It: There’s a reason this name is so admired: it’s short, sweet, elegant, and classic. It can be cute for a child while at the same time being sophisticated and commanding enough for an adult. For all its popularity, this isn’t one of those flash-in-the-pan kind of names. It’s had enduring appeal for a long time before its recent rise, going back at least as far as the 8th century. There’s a lot to love about Ava. We at Ava to Zeke might be a little biased, though…
Who Might Like It: The name Ava holds on tightly to its old Hollywood charm, making it an appealing choice for parents who want a name loaded with glamour and vintage vibes. Sure, Ava’s not for those looking to avoid the top-ten list. But parents who like short and feminine names with soft sounds may find Ava to be the perfect baby name choice.
Now that you’ve mentioned Avies as one possible nickname for Ava, Avis popped into my head.
At a glance, it does look a bit like Mavis with the initial cut out, but it can also serve as a smooshing of Ava and Mavis. I’d expect Avis to be a used a tad bit more like around 30-40 counts, but I was a bit surprised to see it only used on 16 girls last year (and 11 boys!) in the US – less than 3 throughout Britain (perhaps none at all).
It had been used more often in Middle Ages England, so I guess its medieval usage is one charming aspect of Avis? I dunno…
Interesting! Avis immediately brings to mind the car rental company for me, so maybe that’s why it’s not more popular in the US? But the association certainly isn’t a bad one, and the more I say it aloud, the more I think it’s really quite wearable.