Given name & surname
Eva
“giver of life; a lively woman”
Eva is used as a given name and a surname. One Hebrew interpretation is “giver of life; a lively woman.”
Original Hebrewחוה
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Hebrew interpretation is “giver of life; a lively woman.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.
How it developed
Eva is used as a form of Eve.
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. In English use, Eva has a related form in Eve. The history of Eve gives this family its wider story. Eve has a place in biblical naming traditions. In English use, Eva has a related form in Ava. The history of Ava gives this family its wider story. A ninth-century abbess was known as Ava or Avia. The link between that early use and the modern name is unclear; actress Ava Gardner later helped bring it wider attention.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Eva through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 285,768
- 1,007 boys · 284,761 girls
- Most popular year
- 1918
- 4,575 babies
- 2025
- 2,154
- #134 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −28%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 2,154 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 134 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 27.9% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 4,563 in 1918. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (289). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 161,325 as a first name in 2020; 786 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Eva’s family of names
In German usage, Eva is a short form of Genoveva. In Swedish usage, Eva has a masculine form in Eve. In German usage, Eva has a related form in Evelyn.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Eva has relatives in 30 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.
Hebrewwhere Eva comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 44
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Evelynvariant · German
- Avavariant · English
- Eviediminutive · English
- Evevariant · Swedish, Estonian
- Evelinadiminutive · Swedish
- Evianavariant
- Evettevariant
- Evydiminutive · Swedish, Norwegian
Show 36 moreShow fewer
- Eveliavariant
- Evidiminutive · Estonian, Dutch
- Evviediminutive · English
- Eviavariant
- Evamarievariant · German
- Ivivariant · Estonian
- Evitadiminutive · Spanish, English
- Genovevafull form · German
- Evamariavariant · German
- Eveahvariant
- Eveavariant
- Evelienvariant
- Ewavariant · German, Polish
- Evikavariant
- Eevavariant · Finnish
- Evettavariant
- Hevavariant · Czech
- Evčadiminutive · Czech
- Evulkadiminutive · Czech
- Evuškadiminutive · Czech
- Evinkadiminutive · Czech
- Evkadiminutive · zlw-ocs, Czech
- Evičkadiminutive · Czech
- Evelīnavariant · Latvian
- Ivikadiminutive · Estonian
- Chawavariant · German
- Efavariant · Welsh
- Evacsavariant
- Evacskavariant
- Evikevariant
- Ewevariant · German
- Everosevariant · German
- Evuskapet form
- Eubhavariant · Scottish Gaelic
- Eubhvariant
- Éabhavariant · Irish
Spellings & scripts 4
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 18
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Eva
- Eva PerónArgentine actress and politician (1919–1952)
- Eva Braunphotographer, longtime companion and later wife of Adolf Hitler (1912–1945)
- Eva GreenFrench actressborn 1980
- Eva LongoriaAmerican actress and producer (born 1975)
- Magdalena AnderssonPrime Minister of Sweden from 2021 to 2022, Swedish politician and economistborn 1967
- Eva Marie SaintAmerican actress (born 1924)
- Eva HerzigováCzech model and actress (born 1973)
- Eva EkebladSwedish scientist (1724-1786)
- Eva CassidyAmerican singer (1963–1996)
Characters named Eva: Eva (Metal Gear), Eva Kant (comics character in the Diabolik series).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Eva, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Edna
“one who brings pleasure; a delight”
>99% girls
Margaret
“resembling a pearl” · “the child of light”
>99% girls
Beulah
“married” · “woman who is claimed as a wife”
>99% girls
Reba
“one who is bound to God”
>99% girls
Ruth
“compassion” · “a beloved companion”
>99% girls
Miriam
“bitter”
>99% girls
Alva
“one who has a fair complexion” · “a bright man”
24% boys · 76% girls
Ethel
“a noble woman” · “one who is noble”
>99% girls