Ava
Ava was the 11th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 7,732 babies. Its best year was 2016, when it ranked 3rd; the most babies were born in 2007 (18,053). Over the last ten years it has moved down 7 places. More babies were named Ava in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Germanic, Hebrew (via Eva), Irish (via Aoife)
Say it AY-vuh /ˈeɪvə/
- Rank in 2025
- #11 girls, down 8 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 7,732girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 200718,053 babies
- Total since 1880
- 344,441babies recorded
What does the name Ava mean?
Ava has more than one source. The medieval Ava is a Germanic name built on the element avi-, of unknown meaning; a 9th-century Frankish saint bore it. Wiktionary also records Ava as a form of Eva (Eve) and as an English spelling of the Irish name Aoife. Modern American use mostly reflects its short, vowel-heavy sound rather than any one root.
*avi (Proto-Germanic (reconstructed), “uncertain”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. There are several possible sources, and the Germanic element is of uncertain meaning.
See also: Germanic names.
Ava popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 344 since 1927, 7 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #11 | 7,732 |
| 2020 | #3 | 13,201 |
| 2010 | #5 | 15,444 |
| 2000 | #180 | 1,796 |
| 1990 | #950 | 198 |
| 1980 | #1,183 | 113 |
| 1970 | #789 | 177 |
| 1960 | #532 | 327 |
| 1950 | #469 | 299 |
| 1940 | #802 | 78 |
| 1930 | #571 | 142 |
| 1920 | #515 | 184 |
| 1910 | #451 | 79 |
| 1900 | #418 | 65 |
| 1890 | #362 | 49 |
| 1880 | #468 | 13 |
How popular is Ava, counting every spelling?
Ava is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #16 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #11 for Ava on its own. Together these spellings went to 7,892 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ava | 7,732 | #11 | 50,149 |
| Avah | 150 | #1,436 | 1,208 |
| Aava | 5 | #14,953 | 40 |
| Avaa | 5 | #15,234 | 32 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Ava?
7,732 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Ava (2.14 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Ava born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 25. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 1 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Ava.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Ava?
About 334,500 people born in the US named Ava are alive today, with a median age of 13; half are between 8 and 19. That makes Ava mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Ava by state
How common Ava was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in District of Columbia (2.3×), Delaware (2.3×), Hawaii (2.3×), Rhode Island (2.2×), Mississippi (2.2×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in California, Texas, Utah.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Ava: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Ava, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Ava · Sibling names for Ava
Questions about the name Ava
What does Ava mean?
The origin of Ava is uncertain: there are several possible sources, and the Germanic element is of uncertain meaning.
How popular is the name Ava?
Ava was the 11th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 7,732 babies. Its best year was 2016, when it ranked 3rd; the most babies were born in 2007 (18,053). Over the last ten years it has moved down 7 places. More babies were named Ava in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Ava a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Ava in the US.
Where is Ava most popular?
In 2021–2025, Ava was most common in District of Columbia (14.26 per 1,000 girls), followed by Delaware and Hawaii.