Eva
Say it: EE-va/ˈiːvə/
GirlMeans usually linked with "living" or "life"3 letters2 syllables
#69
in Ireland (2025)
77
babies in 2025
#37
best rank (2016)
4,718
babies since 1964
Down 30
10-year rank change
Eva through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 77 | #69 |
| 2024 | 91 | #58 |
| 2023 | 104 | #52 |
| 2022 | 91 | #59 |
| 2021 | 95 | #63 |
| 2020 | 131 | #39 |
| 2019 | 144 | #41 |
| 2018 | 136 | #40 |
| 2017 | 144 | #39 |
| 2016 | 166 | #37 |
| 2015 | 159 | #39 |
| 2014 | 147 | #43 |
| 2013 | 154 | #42 |
| 2012 | 160 | #45 |
| 2011 | 152 | #52 |
| 2010 | 176 | #44 |
| 2009 | 201 | #38 |
| 2008 | 196 | #38 |
| 2007 | 178 | #41 |
| 2006 | 146 | #44 |
| 2005 | 131 | #49 |
| 2004 | 127 | #47 |
| 2003 | 100 | #55 |
| 2002 | 112 | #50 |
| 2001 | 127 | #44 |
| 2000 | 82 | #58 |
| 1999 | 77 | #60 |
| 1998 | 59 | #66 |
| 1997 | 80 | #68 |
| 1996 | 65 | #78 |
| 1995 | 45 | #117 |
| 1994 | 39 | #135 |
| 1993 | 38 | #137 |
| 1992 | 36 | #148 |
| 1991 | 39 | #133 |
| 1990 | 30 | #163 |
| 1989 | 29 | #164 |
| 1988 | 18 | #222 |
| 1987 | 36 | #147 |
| 1986 | 34 | #162 |
| 1985 | 22 | #213 |
| 1984 | 49 | #133 |
| 1983 | 33 | #174 |
| 1982 | 35 | #171 |
| 1981 | 45 | #151 |
| 1980 | 42 | #168 |
| 1979 | 36 | #176 |
| 1978 | 50 | #140 |
| 1977 | 32 | #180 |
| 1976 | 26 | #204 |
| 1975 | 21 | #218 |
| 1974 | 25 | #206 |
| 1973 | 24 | #210 |
| 1972 | 17 | #228 |
| 1971 | 19 | #220 |
| 1970 | 13 | #230 |
| 1969 | 14 | #231 |
| 1968 | 19 | #197 |
| 1967 | 13 | #214 |
| 1966 | 16 | #195 |
| 1965 | 8 | #251 |
| 1964 | 7 | #257 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Eva mean?
Usually linked with "living" or "life"
Latin and Greek form of the Hebrew Ḥawwāh (Eve), the first woman in Genesis.
Say it right
EEva
Some people say AY-va, which sounds like Ava.
The story of Eva
Eva is the Latin and Greek form of the Hebrew Ḥawwāh, the name of the first woman in the Book of Genesis. In English she is usually called Eve, and Genesis links her name with the word for “living”. The form Eva spread across Europe through the Latin Bible and is used in many languages today.
In Ireland and Scotland, Eva was also used in English for the Irish name Aoife. A well-known Irish bearer is Eva Gore-Booth, the poet, suffragist and labour campaigner from Lissadell in County Sligo, and the younger sister of Constance Markievicz.
Eva was already given when the CSO records begin, and it grew strongly from the late 1990s. It peaked in 2009 with 201 girls. Its best rank came in 2016, at number 37. It has been even more popular in Northern Ireland, where it reached 8th in 2009.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Eva (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Eva (name)
- Wikipedia: Eva Gore-Booth
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, Baby Names in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Eva | 77 | 4,718 |
In Northern Ireland
#62 in 2025 with 32 babies. Best rank #8 (2009); 2,440 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.