| Ava | Florence | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Of debated origin; often “life” or “bird” | Blooming, flourishing |
| Origin | Latin | latin |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | AY-vuh | FLOR-ens |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2007 (18,053) | 1918 (11,318) |
| In 2025 | 7,732 | 796 |
| Trend | Declining | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Ava | Florence |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 63,350 | 3,330 |
| 2010s | 155,879 | 1,828 |
| 2000s | 104,539 | 600 |
| 1990s | 4,207 | 828 |
| 1980s | 1,416 | 1,272 |
| 1970s | 1,319 | 2,227 |
| 1960s | 2,342 | 5,081 |
| 1950s | 4,237 | 10,597 |
| 1940s | 1,346 | 20,393 |
| 1930s | 1,180 | 37,942 |
| 1920s | 1,590 | 88,295 |
| 1910s | 1,401 | 81,465 |
| 1900s | 533 | 36,191 |
| 1890s | 479 | 32,345 |
| 1880s | 279 | 16,699 |
A short, much-loved name whose origin is debated — linked variously to “life” (via Eve), to a Germanic root, and to the Latin avis, “bird.”
From Latin 'florens' meaning 'blossoming, flourishing' (from 'florere', to bloom) rather than literally 'flower'. Derived from the Roman name Florentius/Florentia; also associated with the Italian city.
Ava is more popular than Florence today: about 7,732 US babies were given the name Ava in 2025, compared with 796 named Florence.
Ava means Of debated origin; often “life” or “bird” (Latin origin), while Florence means Blooming, flourishing (latin origin).
In US records, Ava first appears in 1880 and Florence in 1880, so Ava has the longer recorded history.