Octava
Derived from the Latin word "octo" meaning eight.
Name Census estimates that about 1 living Americans carry the first name Octava. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Octava today is around 75 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Octava births was 1921 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Octava. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Octava is about 75 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Octavas were born before 1961.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Octava. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
1
~ 1 in 342,754,338 Americans
Peak year
1921
8 babies that year
Average age
75
years old
1931 SSA rank
#4,806
Tracked since 1894
Popularity
Octava: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Octava from the 1890s through to the 1930s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 19 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Octava 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 Octava 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 Octava
The given name Octava has its roots in Latin, where it was derived from the word "octavus," meaning "eighth." This name likely originated during the period of ancient Rome, as Latin was the primary language spoken throughout the Roman Empire.
The name Octava was relatively uncommon in ancient times, but it did appear in some historical records and texts. One notable mention is in the Codex Theodosianus, a compilation of Roman laws from the 5th century AD, where an individual named Octava is referenced in relation to a legal matter.
The earliest recorded example of the name Octava can be traced back to the 3rd century AD, when a Roman woman named Octava Tertia was mentioned in an inscription found in the city of Ostia Antica, near modern-day Rome. This inscription was discovered during archaeological excavations in the 19th century.
Throughout history, there have been a few notable individuals who bore the name Octava. One such person was Octava Faustina, a Roman noblewoman who lived in the 2nd century AD and was a member of the influential Faustina family.
Another historical figure with this name was Octava Gens, a Roman poet who lived during the 1st century BC. While little is known about her life, some of her poetic works have been preserved and studied by scholars of ancient literature.
In the Middle Ages, there was a nun named Octava of Amesbury, who lived in the 12th century and served as the abbess of the Amesbury Abbey in Wiltshire, England.
During the Renaissance period, an Italian painter named Octava Garzoni (1600-1670) gained recognition for her still-life paintings and portraits. She was one of the few female artists to achieve notable success in her time.
It is worth noting that the name Octava has been more commonly used as a feminine name throughout history, although there have been some instances of its use for males as well.
People
Octava + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Octava as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with O
Other first names starting with O with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Octava: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Octava?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Octava 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 342,754,338 US residents.
Is Octava a common name?
We classify Octava as "Very Rare". It ranks above 3.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 41 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Octava most popular?
The single biggest year for Octava was 1921, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Octava is about 75 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 Octava in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Octava a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Octava 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 Octava still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Octava 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 Octava 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 the name Octava?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.