Eeva
A feminine name of Finnish origin meaning "life-bearer" or "primal mother".
Name Census estimates that about 176 living Americans carry the first name Eeva. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Eeva today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Eeva births was 2017 (21 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Eeva. 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.
People living today
176
~ 1 in 1,947,468 Americans
Peak year
2017
21 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2022 SSA rank
#12,597
Tracked since 2005
Popularity
Eeva: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Eeva 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 121 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Eeva 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 Eeva during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Eeva
The name Eeva has its origins in the Finnish language, where it is a variant of the biblical name Eva or Eve. It can be traced back to the Hebrew name Chavvah, which means "life-giver" or "mother of all living." The name is derived from the Hebrew root word "chayah," meaning "to live."
Eeva is a popular name in Finland and has been in use for centuries. It was particularly common during the medieval period when Finland was heavily influenced by Christianity. The name was likely introduced to the Finnish language through the translation of the Bible and other religious texts.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Eeva can be found in the Kalevala, the national epic of Finland, which was compiled from Finnish oral folklore and mythology during the 19th century. In the Kalevala, Eeva is mentioned as the wife of the mythical hero Väinämöinen.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Eeva. One of the most famous was Eeva Joenpelto (1928-2010), a Finnish writer and journalist known for her novels and short stories. Eeva Kuuskoski (1892-1936) was a Finnish gymnast who won a gold medal at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm.
Another prominent figure was Eeva Kilpi (1928-2009), a Finnish author and playwright whose works often explored themes of feminism and social issues. Eeva Massa (1910-1976) was a Finnish actress and singer who appeared in numerous films and stage productions during the mid-20th century.
Eeva Furman (1892-1976) was a Finnish politician and women's rights activist who served as a member of the Finnish Parliament and played a significant role in promoting gender equality in Finland.
While the name Eeva has its roots in Finnish culture and language, it has also gained popularity in other parts of the world, particularly in Scandinavian countries and among Finnish diaspora communities.
People
Eeva + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Eeva as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Eeva: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Eeva?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 176 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Eeva 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 1,947,468 US residents.
Is Eeva a common name?
We classify Eeva as "Very Rare". It ranks above 72.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 177 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Eeva most popular?
The single biggest year for Eeva was 2017, when 21 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Eeva is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Eeva a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Eeva 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.
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.