Ava is a feminine given name used in the English, German and Russian languages. This is a list of notable people who bear the given name Ava, including people who use the name as a pseudonym or stage name, and fictional characters given the name.
The name originates from the 8th and 9th centuries during the Middle Ages as an abbreviation of Germanic names containing the first element aw, which is of uncertain meaning. Old High German compound dithematic names with the element include Avagisa, Avuldis, Awanpurc, and Auwanildis.
The Oxford Dictionary of First Names supports the Germanic origin of Ava and additionally attributes Avis and Eva as derivatives that share the av element. The dictionary also supposes that the name Aveline, source of the Irish names ÃÂibhleann and AibhilÃÂn, is a derivative of Ava. The lists that Ava (), in the Russian language, is a derivative of various masculine and feminine given names including: August, Augusta, Avelina, Avenir, Avenira and Aventina, and rare old names such as Avel, Aventin, Aviafa, Avim and Aviya.
There are fewer records of the name following the Middle Ages, and the Oxford Dictionary of First Names suggests it could also have been a modern invention. However, it gained popularity for babies during the 1950s. It then continued to gain popularity through leading Hollywood actress Ava Gardner. , Ava is the ninth most popular female baby name in the United States and the tenth in Canada. Additionally in 2023, it was the sixth most popular female baby name across England, Wales and New South Wales, and the twentieth most popular in New Zealand in 2025.