Meaning and history
Ava can be understood as an English variant of Eve, though it also existed independently as a medieval Germanic name derived from an element of uncertain meaning; in Persian, the same spelling means voice or sound. The name was borne by a medieval saint and poet and later became strongly associated with actress Ava Gardner and filmmaker Ava DuVernay.
20062006: 16,941 births, rank #5
2007: 18,053 births, rank #4
2008: 17,051 births, rank #5
2009: 15,877 births, rank #5
2010: 15,444 births, rank #5
20112011: 15,518 births, rank #5
2012: 15,549 births, rank #5
2013: 15,271 births, rank #5
2014: 15,727 births, rank #5
2015: 16,416 births, rank #4
20162016: 16,354 births, rank #3
2017: 16,017 births, rank #3
2018: 15,034 births, rank #3
2019: 14,549 births, rank #3
2020: 13,201 births, rank #3
20212021: 12,873 births, rank #5
2022: 11,107 births, rank #7
2023: 9,737 births, rank #8
2024: 8,700 births, rank #9
20252025: 7,732 births, rank #11
Ava has made a dramatic comeback. After first appearing in the US records in 1880, it fell to #988 by 1984, before climbing to #11 in 2025. Its highest annual birth count came in 2007, with 18,053 births.