Eva

Updated: October 11, 2023 by Sarah Nance

The name Eva is a popular name among religious traditions as it is the Latin form of the name Eve, who was the first woman created by God in the Bible. The name is now even a popular name for a shortened version of names such as Evangeline, giving it multiple backgrounds. Some translations, however, even give the name Eva the meaning of “giver of life,” which makes sense as if Eve was the first woman; she helped to give birth to the next generation of people who would eventually fill the earth. To learn more about this classic name, read on.

Origin of the name Eva:

In Hebrew, the name Eva means “life,” “giver of life,” “living one,” and “mother of life.” Eva is literally the Latin version of the name Eve. Eve was the very first woman created in the Bible, allowing Latin tradition to put its own twist on this very classical name. The name actually comes from the Hebrew word that is “chawah,” which means “to breathe.”

Symbolism of the name Eva:

Being that the name Eva is based on the Hebrew word “chawah” and that its meaning in Hebrew is “life,” it makes sense that the name comes from the name of the first woman. It was through this first woman, according to Biblical text, that the rest of the population of the world was created.

Nicknames for the name Eva:

Evie
Ev
Evy
Vee
Va
EvEv
Via
Vie

Style of the name Eva:

The baby name Eva is classical in nature as it is based on ancient Hebrew and Latin terminology.

Gender of the name Eva:

The baby name Eva is preserved for females.

Pronunciation of the name Eva:

EE-vah, EH-vah, or AY-vah

Number of syllables in the name Eva:

There are two syllables in the baby's name, Eva.

Emotion evoked from the name Eva:

The baby's name, Eva, evokes an emotion of power and pride. The pride is a caring one, though, in that the name almost sounds reserved for someone who would be a protector.

Alternative spellings for the name Eva:

Popularity of the name Eva:

From the years 1900 to 1932, the baby name Eva was on the top 100 list due to the popularity of the character with the same name in “Uncle Tom's Cabin.” In the year 2009, it rose back to this top 100 ranking, currently at the 93rd most popular name for girls. This may be due to the popularity of actresses such as Eva Longoria and Eva Mendes.