Given name & surname
Dava
“the beloved one”
Dava is a variant of Davina. In Scottish use, Davina carries the interpretation “the beloved one.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Dava is a variant of Davina. In Scottish use, Davina carries the interpretation “the beloved one.”
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1931. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Dava through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,487
- 0 boys · 1,487 girls
- Most popular year
- 1954
- 50 babies
- 2025
- 5
- #15,473 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −41%
- Cooling
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 5 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 15,473 among girls’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Its largest published annual count for girls was 50 in 1954. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,290 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Dava’s family of names
Dava has a related form in Davina. In Greek usage, Dava as a surname is a transliteration of Δάβα.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
People named Dava
- Dava SobelAmerican writerborn 1947
- Dava NewmanMedia Lab director and former Deputy Administrator of NASAborn 1964
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Dava, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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“ouf little darling”
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“bee”
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Dianna
Dianna is a feminine given name from Latin.
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Diane
Diane is used as a given name and a surname. Diane is connected with Diana.
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Doreen
“the golden one” · “a brooding woman”
>99% girls
Dea
“resembling a goddess”
>99% girls