Aava
A feminine name of Finnish origin meaning "born at dawn".
Name Census estimates that about 174 living Americans carry the first name Aava. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Aava today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Aava births was 2020 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Aava. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Aava with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
174
~ 1 in 1,969,853 Americans
Peak year
2020
19 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#15,250
Tracked since 2006
Popularity
Aava: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Aava from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 87 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Aava remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Aava by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Aava during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Aavas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Aava
The name Aava is of Finnish origin, derived from the Finnish word "aava," which means "vast" or "open." It is believed to have been first used as a given name in the late 19th or early 20th century, reflecting the Finnish appreciation for the country's vast natural landscapes and open spaces.
Aava was a relatively uncommon name in Finland until the latter half of the 20th century when it gained popularity. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Aava can be found in the Finnish author Aava Viljanen's writings from the early 1900s.
In ancient Finnish mythology, the name Aava is associated with the goddess of the open sea, who was revered for her power and vastness. This connection to the sea and the natural world may have contributed to the name's appeal among Finnish families.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Aava. One of the most famous was Aava Merikanto (1863-1946), a Finnish composer and pianist who played a significant role in the development of Finnish national music. Another notable Aava was Aava Murto (1916-2008), a Finnish politician who served as a member of the Finnish Parliament from 1962 to 1975.
In the field of literature, Aava Lilius (1923-2009) was a renowned Finnish author and playwright, known for her thought-provoking works that explored themes of identity, relationships, and societal issues. Aava Klami (1905-1983) was a Finnish artist and sculptor who gained recognition for her modern and abstract works, many of which can be found in public spaces and museums across Finland.
Aava Niitamo (1910-1997) was a Finnish architect who made significant contributions to the modernist architectural movement in Finland during the mid-20th century. Her designs were characterized by clean lines, functionality, and a harmonious integration with the natural surroundings.
People
Aava + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Aava as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Aava: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Aava?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 174 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Aava going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,969,853 US residents.
Is Aava a common name?
We classify Aava as "Very Rare". It ranks above 72.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 175 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Aava most popular?
The single biggest year for Aava was 2020, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Aava is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Aava in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Aava a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Aava in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Aava still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Aava in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Aava can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Aava?
Want to know how many Americans are named Aava? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.