A 1890s favorite, climbing again.
Popularity of Iva since 1880
Babies named Iva per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1918, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Iva's real moment was 1897.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 2,108 |
| 1890s | 4,103 |
| 1900s | 4,212 |
| 1910s | 6,875 |
| 1920s | 7,364 |
| 1930s | 4,793 |
| 1940s | 2,807 |
| 1950s | 1,900 |
| 1960s | 979 |
| 1970s | 576 |
| 1980s | 368 |
| 1990s | 308 |
| 2000s | 449 |
| 2010s | 910 |
| 2020s | 645 |
Meaning & origin
Iva is a name of uncertain origin, possibly a feminine form of Ivan or a variant of Ivy. It first appeared in U.S. records in 1880 and reached its peak rank of 173 in 1897, when it was a common choice for baby girls. After declining throughout the 20th century, Iva has been rising again since 1995, and in 2025 it ranked 1,733rd with a frequency of 1 in 13,737 births. The name has seen particular use in Alabama, Ohio, and Georgia. Though never among the most popular names, Iva has maintained a consistent, if modest, presence, with a revival in the 1990s bringing it back into consideration for parents seeking a simple, vintage-sounding name.
Iva likely developed as a feminine diminutive of Ivan, the Slavic form of John, meaning 'God is gracious.' In English-speaking countries, it may also be a variant of Ivy, the name of the climbing evergreen plant. The name saw modest use in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly in the Southern United States, and has experienced a revival beginning in the 1990s.
Where Iva is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Iva” around the world
Where Iva lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
5
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Ivy
Variants: Ivah
Sibling names for Iva
Names that share Iva's style, for a brother or sister.
