Eyva
A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "return" or "recompense".
Name Census estimates that about 76 living Americans carry the first name Eyva. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Eyva today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Eyva births was 2014 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Eyva. 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 Eyva with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Eyva. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
76
~ 1 in 4,509,926 Americans
Peak year
2014
10 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2023 SSA rank
#15,940
Tracked since 2008
Popularity
Eyva: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Eyva 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 56 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
Eyva 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 Eyva 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 Eyva
The name Eyva is believed to have originated from the ancient Sumerian language, which was spoken in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) around 3500-3000 BC. The name is derived from the Sumerian word "ey-va," which means "life-giver" or "mother of life." This suggests that the name was likely given to women who were revered for their roles as mothers or nurturers.
In Sumerian mythology, there was a goddess named Eyva, who was associated with fertility and motherhood. She was often depicted with a crown of horns, symbolizing her power and strength. The name Eyva may have been inspired by this goddess, as it was common practice in ancient cultures to name children after deities or mythological figures.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Eyva can be found in a cuneiform tablet from the ancient city of Ur, dating back to around 2500 BC. This tablet lists the names of people who were involved in various trade activities, and one of the names mentioned is "Eyva-ilu," which translates to "Eyva is my god."
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Eyva. One of the earliest was Eyva of Ctesiphon, a Christian martyr who lived in the 4th century AD. She was executed in Ctesiphon (modern-day Iraq) for refusing to renounce her faith.
In the 11th century, there was an Armenian princess named Eyva of Ani, who was known for her beauty and intelligence. She played an important role in the political affairs of the Bagratid Kingdom of Armenia.
During the Renaissance period, Eyva Gozzadini (1476-1548) was an Italian noblewoman and philanthropist from Bologna. She was renowned for her charitable works and her support for the arts and education.
In the 19th century, Eyva Peron (1819-1892) was a French painter and sculptor. She was part of the Impressionist movement and is best known for her landscape paintings, which captured the beauty of the French countryside.
In more recent times, Eyva Longoria (born 1975) is an American actress, producer, and activist. She is best known for her role as Gabrielle Solis in the television series "Desperate Housewives," which earned her several awards and nominations.
While the name Eyva may not be as common today as it once was, it carries a rich historical significance and a connection to ancient cultures and mythologies. Its meaning as "life-giver" or "mother of life" serves as a reminder of the important roles that women have played throughout history as nurturers and caretakers.
People
Eyva + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Eyva 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
Eyva: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Eyva?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 76 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Eyva 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 4,509,926 US residents.
Is Eyva a common name?
We classify Eyva as "Very Rare". It ranks above 60.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 77 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Eyva most popular?
The single biggest year for Eyva was 2014, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Eyva is about 12 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 Eyva in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Eyva a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Eyva 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 Eyva still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Eyva 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 Eyva 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 have Eyva as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Eyva on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.