Octavia
Octavia was the 308th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 982 babies. Its best year was 2022, when it ranked 247th; the most babies were born in 2021 (1,238). Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,053 places. More babies were named Octavia in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning eighth · Latin
Say it ok-TAY-vee-uh /ɑkˈteɪviə/
- Rank in 2025
- #308 girls, up 26 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 982girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20211,238 babies
- Total since 1880
- 24,117babies recorded
What does the name Octavia mean?
Octavia is the feminine of the Roman family name Octavius, from Latin octavus, "eighth". The best-known bearer was Octavia, sister of the emperor Augustus. DMNES records the masculine Octavius as a Roman gens name, and Yonge's 1884 index gives the meaning "eighth". Wiktionary describes it as in quiet use since the Middle Ages; it has become more common in the US recently.
octavus (Latin, “eighth”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Octavius, Tavia, Ottavia.
See also: Latin names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Octavia', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Octavius', DMNES, Durham University
- Charlotte M. Yonge, History of Christian Names, new ed. (1884), index s.v. 'Octavia' (19th-century work; used for dated usage facts only), Macmillan (public domain; Internet Archive scan)
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'Octavia', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
Nicknames for Octavia
The usual nicknames for Octavia are Tavi.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tavi | Modern | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Octavias go by each one.
Octavia popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 139 since 1920.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #308 | 982 |
| 2020 | #334 | 930 |
| 2010 | #2,162 | 91 |
| 2000 | #1,064 | 195 |
| 1990 | #618 | 365 |
| 1980 | #833 | 188 |
| 1970 | #1,066 | 115 |
| 1960 | #1,414 | 61 |
| 1950 | #1,298 | 50 |
| 1940 | #1,288 | 34 |
| 1930 | #989 | 56 |
| 1920 | #682 | 114 |
| 1910 | #509 | 65 |
| 1900 | #462 | 54 |
| 1890 | #465 | 32 |
| 1880 | #306 | 27 |
How popular is Octavia, counting every spelling?
Octavia is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #333 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #308 for Octavia on its own. Together these spellings went to 982 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Octavia | 982 | #308 | 5,661 |
| Octaviah | — | — | 30 |
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 Octavia?
982 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Octavia (0.27 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Octavia born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 9 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Octavia.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Octavia?
About 20,000 people born in the US named Octavia are alive today, with a median age of 21; half are between 5 and 39. That makes Octavia 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.
Octavia by state
How common Octavia was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Vermont (9.5×), West Virginia (5.8×), Maine (5.0×), South Dakota (4.0×), Montana (3.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New Jersey, Mississippi, California.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Octavia: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Octavia, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Octavia · Sibling names for Octavia
Questions about the name Octavia
What does Octavia mean?
Octavia means “eighth” (Latin origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Octavia?
Octavia was the 308th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 982 babies. Its best year was 2022, when it ranked 247th; the most babies were born in 2021 (1,238). Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,053 places. More babies were named Octavia in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Octavia a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Octavia in the US.
Where is Octavia most popular?
In 2021–2025, Octavia was most common in Vermont (6.60 per 1,000 girls), followed by Wyoming and West Virginia.