Given name & surname
Elva
“a friend of the elves”
Elva is a variant of Elvia. One Irish interpretation is “a friend of the elves.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Elva is a variant of Elvia. One Irish interpretation is “a friend of the elves.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Elva is a variant of Elvia. An origin associated with Elvia is Irish.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Elva through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 32,514
- 817 boys · 31,697 girls
- Most popular year
- 1918
- 818 babies
- 2025
- 41
- #3,665 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −20%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 41 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 3,665 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 19.9% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 789 in 1918. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (6). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 18,332 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.
Elva’s family of names
In Latvian usage, Elva has a masculine form in Elvis. Elva has a related form in Elvia.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 4
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Elva
- Elva HsiaoTaiwanese singer (born 1979)
- Elva LawtonAmerican botanist and bryologist (1896-1993)
- Mrs. MillerAmerican singer (1907-1997)
- Elva GoulbourneJamaican long jumperborn 1980
- Elva AmbíaPeruvian Quechua writerborn 1941
- Elva R. KendallU.S. Representative from Kentucky (1893-1968)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Elva, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Elma
“having God's protection”
>99% girls
Elda
“a battlemaiden; a protector”
>99% girls
Elna
Elna is a feminine given name from Elin. It is used in Swedish, Danish, Finnish, and Faroese.
>99% girls
Elvie
“a friend of the elves” · “an elf warrior”
>99% girls
Era
Era is a feminine given name. It is used in Albanian.
4% boys · 96% girls
Erma
“one who is complete; universal”
>99% girls
Eda
Eda is a variant of Edith. One English interpretation is “the spoils of war; one who is joyous; a treasure.”
>99% girls
Neva
“from the place covered with snow”
>99% girls