Iva

Short, sweet, and sharp, this multicultural choice is currently popular in Croatia, Czechia, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. While not in the charts elsewhere, it is familiar in English speaking countries, and in the Netherlands.

The name has a number of different meanings depending on which root you follow. It can be a Czech or English feminine form of the names Ivo and Ives, which derive from the Germanic iwa meaning "yew tree". Alternatively, it could also be a feminine form of the Scottish and English name Ivor, originating from the Old Norse Ívarr meaning "bow warrior", although sometimes interpreted as also meaning "yew".

From its Bulgarian, Croatian, and Serbian roots, Iva can mean "willow tree", though it might also be a Slovak and Slovene short form of Ivana, a feminine form of Ivan, ultimately a form of John, meaning "god is gracious".

Iva packs a lot into its three letters, and in the US, it could make a familiar-but-underused alternative to Eva and Ivy.

Iva is also given to boys.

Pronounced EE-vuh.

As of October 2026, Iva ranked #1740 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #111 in 1894.