Ava

Ava’s origin is uncertain, but it’s widely suspected to be the diminutive of several medieval German names beginning with the element av, which may have meant “desire.” That said, this short and elegant name, pronounced “AY-vah,” could well have roots in Persian, Urdu, Hebrew, and Latin as well.

In both Persian and Urdu, Ava means “voice.” In Hebrew, the name Chavah means “life.” In Latin, avis means “bird,” and, unexpectedly, avo (pronounced ay-vaw) means “grandmother.” Ava is also a place name – the name of both an ancient capital of Myanmar and a city in Missouri.