Girl name · Hebrew
Eva
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: living, lifeEva is a girl's name that comes from Hebrew and means "living, life". It is used in German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch and Scandinavian and more.
- Meaning
- Living, life
- Origin
- Hebrew
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- AY-vah (German)
Meaning and origin of Eva
As a girl's name, Eva comes from Hebrew and means "living, life". It is used in German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Scandinavian and Russian.
In German, say AY-vah. In Italian, say EH-vah. In Spanish, say EH-bah. In Russian, say YEH-vah. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
Eva on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Eva on 4 lists.
“Living, life; Hebrew, the German Eve. Say AY-vah”
From German girl names, german forms of classic names
“Living, life; Hebrew. Say EH-vah”
From Italian girl names, short Italian girl names
“Living, life; Hebrew. The first woman in Genesis. Say EH-bah”
From Mexican girl names, mexican girl names from the Bible
“Life; Hebrew, the Russian Eve. Diminutive Evochka. Say YEH-vah”
From Russian girl names, female Russian names from Latin, Hebrew and Germanic
How popular is Eva?
- US rank in 2025
- #134
- 2,154 babies, 1,340 per million girls
- Best rank
- #31 in 1889
- Most babies: 4,563 in 1918
- Babies since 1880
- At least 284,761
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 7,466 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 7,409 per million |
| 1900s | 6,270 per million |
| 1910s | 4,280 per million |
| 1920s | 3,183 per million |
| 1930s | 2,138 per million |
| 1940s | 1,212 per million |
| 1950s | 890 per million |
| 1960s | 744 per million |
| 1970s | 556 per million |
| 1980s | 455 per million |
| 1990s | 444 per million |
| 2000s | 1,156 per million |
| 2010s | 2,012 per million |
| 2020s | 1,556 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #74 | #73 | #76 | #86 | #93 | #93 | #108 | #111 | #120 | #134 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Nicknames for Eva
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Evitatraditional short form (Spanish)
Other forms of Eva
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- ChayaLiving, life (Hebrew, girl)
- ÉabhaLiving, life (Hebrew, girl)
- EfaLiving, life (Hebrew, girl)
- EubhLiving, life (Hebrew, girl)
- EveLiving, life (Hebrew, girl)
- EviLiving, life (Hebrew, girl)
- EwaLife, living (Hebrew, girl)
Names spelled like Eva
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- ElaHazel (Turkish, girl)
- EmaBlossom and jasmine (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- EmmaWhole, universal (Germanic, girl)
- ElsaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- EllaShort form of names such as Elisabeth and Eleonore (Germanic, girl)
- ÉalaSwan (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- EavanFair beauty (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- EceQueen, lady (Turkish, girl)
- EdnaPleasure, delight (Hebrew, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- ZoeLife, living (Greek, girl)
- AishaAlive, living (Arabic, girl)
- AvaVariant of Eve, life; in Persian, voice (Hebrew, girl)
- VitoLife (Latin, boy)
- AmrLife (Arabic, boy)
- AyşeAlive, living (Arabic, girl)
- AyushLife, long life (Sanskrit, boy)
- BeathagLife (Scottish Gaelic, girl)
- BeathanLife (Scottish Gaelic, boy)
- CanSoul, life (Persian, boy)
Middle names for Eva
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- AliceNobility, of noble kind (Germanic, girl)
- CelesteHeavenly, of the sky (Latin, girl)
- PrimroseFirst rose (Latin, girl)
- SeraphinaFiery ones (Hebrew, girl)
- ValentinaStrong, healthy (Latin, girl)
- VictoriaVictory, triumph (Latin, girl)
- WillowWillow tree (Old English, girl)
- ZinniaFlower named for Johann Zinn (English, girl)
More girl names from Hebrew
- AnnaFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- MiriamForm of Mary, meaning uncertain; perhaps Egyptian beloved (Hebrew, girl)
- SarahPrincess, noblewoman (Hebrew, girl)
- EliseGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- LisaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- AnneFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- DanielaGod is my judge (Hebrew, girl)
- HannahFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- IsabelGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
- IsabellaGod is my oath (Hebrew, girl)
Eva: common questions
What does the name Eva mean?
Eva comes from Hebrew and means "living, life". Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Eva a boy or girl name?
Eva is mainly a girl's name.
What are nicknames for Eva?
Common nicknames for Eva include Evita.
How do you pronounce Eva?
In German, say AY-vah. In Italian, say EH-vah. In Spanish, say EH-bah. In Russian, say YEH-vah. Pronunciation can vary between languages and regions.
How popular is the name Eva?
Eva ranked #134 in the US in 2025, with 2,154 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Eva?
Forms of Eva with the same meaning and origin include Chaya (Hebrew), Éabha (Irish), Efa (Welsh), Eubh (Scottish) and Eve (English).
What middle names go with Eva?
Middle names that flow well with Eva include Alice, Celeste, Primrose, Seraphina and Valentina. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.