Given name & surname
Marva
“lady”·“friend of the sea”·“a friend of the sea”
Marva is a variant of Martha. One Aramaic interpretation is “lady.” Marva is a variant of Marvina. In English use, Marvina carries the interpretation “friend of the sea.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Marva is a variant of Martha. One Aramaic interpretation is “lady.” Marva is a variant of Marvina. In English use, Marvina carries the interpretation “friend of the sea.” In English use, Marva is a feminine form of Marvin. One Welsh interpretation is “a friend of the sea.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Marva is a variant of Martha. An origin associated with Martha is Aramaic. In English use, Marva is a feminine form of Marvin. An origin associated with Marvin is Welsh.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
Marva is a feminine form of Marvin.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1913. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Marva is a variant of Martha. The history of Martha gives this family its wider story. In biblical stories, Martha is associated with the sister of Lazarus and Mary.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Marva through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 10,369
- 7 boys · 10,362 girls
- Most popular year
- 1948
- 371 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for girls is 5 in 2023. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for girls was 371 in 1948. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 8,752 as a first name in 2020; 100 as a surname in 2010.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Marva’s family of names
Marva is a feminine form of Marvin. Marva has a related form in Martha. In English usage, Marva has a related form in Marwa.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Marva
- Marva WhitneyAmerican singer (1944–2012)
- Marva CollinsAmerican schoolteacher (1936-2015)
- Marva HicksAmerican musician (1956–2022)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Marva, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Marylu
“star of the sea” · “from the sea of bitterness”
>99% girls
Marita
“star of the sea” · “from the sea of bitterness”
>99% girls
Merryl
“of the shining sea”
>99% girls
Rubea
“as precious as the red gemstone” · “behold, a son!”
20% boys · 80% girls
Cypora
“a beauty; little bird”
—
Marylee
“star of the sea” · “from the sea of bitterness”
>99% girls
Tsippora
“a beauty; little bird”
>99% girls
Tzziporah
“a beauty; little bird”
—