Total births
344,097
Girls' name · since 1880
Ava
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 344,097 babies named Ava, peaking in 2007. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #9
- among girls today
- 344,097
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 99.9%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Ava is the #9 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 344,097 recorded since 1880.
Ava has 344,097 recorded births among girls since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #9 as of the latest data, more common than 99.9% of girls, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #9 among girls today
- 344,097 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 99.9% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Ava is currently the #9 girls' name in America, more common than 99.9% of girls - 344,097 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #9
- among girls today
- 344,097
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 99.9%
- more common than other girls
Ava vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#9
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 99.9% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
45% of everyone ever named Ava was born in this single decade.
2007
Single peak year
18,053 babies were named Ava in 2007 - its busiest year on record.
How Ava compares
344,097 Top 1% higher than 99% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Ava's all-time total is 901x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ava | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 344,097 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 18,053 | 48 | 19,840 |
Ava's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Ava's full recorded timeline at 1953, 98% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 2% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1880, with just 13 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2007 peak of 18,053 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Ava at a glance
Top 10 girls' namePeak year
2007
Current rank
#9
Active since
1880
Ava popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2007)
- 18,053
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Ava popularity over time - boys
344 total births recorded since 1927 (Ava as boys' name)
Ava by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Ava's strongest decade.
155,879 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 45% of all-time use.
Ava births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 279
1880s
279 births
- 1890s 479
1890s
479 births
- 1900s 533
1900s
533 births
- 1910s 1,401
1910s
1,401 births
- 1920s 1,590
1920s
1,590 births
- 1930s 1,180
1930s
1,180 births
- 1940s 1,346
1940s
1,346 births
- 1950s 4,237
1950s
4,237 births
- 1960s 2,342
1960s
2,342 births
- 1970s 1,319
1970s
1,319 births
- 1980s 1,416
1980s
1,416 births
- 1990s 4,207
1990s
4,207 births
- 2000s
2000s
104,539 births
- 2010s
2010s
155,879 births
- 2020s
2020s
63,350 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 155,879 births (45% of all-time use).
How Ava compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Ava's total volume
Ava vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Ava by state
Where Ava concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 31,485 | 9.2% |
| #2 | Texas | | 27,756 | 8.1% |
| #3 | New York | | 21,316 | 6.2% |
| #4 | Florida | | 17,995 | 5.2% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 15,437 | 4.5% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 15,045 | 4.4% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 13,462 | 3.9% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 12,448 | 3.6% |
California share of Ava's total US births 9.2%
Even split
31,485 of 344,097 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Ava appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ava? ▼
344,097 babies have been named Ava since 1880. It currently ranks #9 among girls. The peak year was 2007 with 18,053 births.
When was Ava most popular? ▼
Ava was most popular in the 2010s decade with 155,879 total births. The single peak year was 2007.
Where is Ava most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ava are California (31,485 births), Texas (27,756 births), New York (21,316 births).
How long has the name Ava been used? ▼
Records for Ava go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Ava? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Avah, Avalynn, Avani, Avalon, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Ava's data
- Ava's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (155,879 total births) through the 2020s (63,350) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Avas (31,485 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Ava
Nearby Names Like Ava
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ava
Avah Girl
#1198 7,046 births
Avalynn Girl
#1179 4,416 births
Avani Girl
#998 4,246 births
Avalon Girl
#1610 4,213 births
Avalyn Girl
#1956 3,697 births
Compare Ava side by side: Ava vs Avah Ava vs Avalynn Ava vs Avani
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ava
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ava: #9 Girls' Name - 344,097 Births, Peak 2007." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ava. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Ava draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.