Ave

♀ Girl

Pronounced AH-veh /ˈɑ.vɛ/Medium

Meaning: From Latin ave, 'hail; greetings' (as in Ave Maria); also an Estonian name and a short form of Ava ('life; a bird'); routes layeredLow

In 30 seconds: Hail; greetings: Ave is Latin 'hail' (and a short Ava). Crisp, lyrical, and warm (said 'AH-veh').

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Origin LowLatin, Estonian

MeaningFrom Latin ave, 'hail; greetings' (as in Ave Maria); also an Estonian name and a short form of Ava ('life; a bird'); routes layered

U.S. rank (2025)#9528 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births10 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year2007

Total births (all-time)≈ 939

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Ave comes from Latin ave, 'hail; greetings' (famous from the prayer Ave Maria) — and is also an Estonian girls' name and a short form of Ava, 'life; a bird' (routes layered, which we note). A crisp, lyrical name (said 'AH-veh'; in English often 'AYV').

In the U.S. it appears in Estonian and devout families. Rare, hail-and-greetings at the (Latin) root, and lyrical.

Did you know? Ave means 'hail; greetings' in Latin (as in Ave Maria) — and is an Estonian name and a short form of Ava — a crisp, lyrical name (the routes are layered, which we note; said 'AH-veh').

Overall data confidence 45%

References — Ave — routes layered

Variations

AvaAvi

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Ave…

Ava— a name it shortens

Eve— a sound-neighbor short girls' name

Liv— a companion short girls' name

Mae— another short girls' name

Explore names like Ave

By themeuncertain latin estonian

By meaningBird Life

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Ave mean?

Ave is Latin 'hail; greetings', an Estonian name, and a short form of Ava; the routes are layered.

How do you pronounce Ave?

It's said AH-veh /ˈɑ.vɛ/ — two syllables (in English often 'AYV').

Is Ave a boy or girl name?

Ave is a girl's name.

How popular is Ave?

Ave is a very rare name in the U.S.