Ava is a medieval name of uncertain origin: it may be a short form of Germanic names beginning with avi, possibly "desired", or a variant of Eve, "life". Actress Ava Gardner kept it alive in the 20th century, and the name exploded after 2000. Ava jumped from number 180 in 2000 to the top 10 in 2005, held number three for five years and ranks eleventh in 2025.