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Mava
How to Pronounce Mava
Pronounced MAY-vuh /ˈmeɪ.və/Medium
Meaning: Mava is most often a short, warm form of Mavis, an English name meaning 'song thrush,' the small singing bird. A separate Slavic route also exists in some families, so the exact source can vary.Low
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
Mava most often shortens Mavis, an English name for the song thrush that was fashionable in the early twentieth century; the child inherits that gentle birdsong meaning. A separate Slavic route appears in some family trees, which we note rather than smooth over.
Mava was never common in the United States, given to only about twenty girls a year at its faint peak around 1939, and it appeared only thinly for decades after. A girl named Mava then would be in her late eighties today.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Mava mean?
It is usually a short form of Mavis, an English name meaning 'song thrush,' with a possible Slavic route in some families.
How do you pronounce Mava?
It is said MAY-vuh /ˈmeɪ.və/, two syllables with the stress on the first.
Is Mava a boy or girl name?
Mava is used here as a girl's name.
How popular is Mava?
It has always been rare in the United States, given to only about twenty girls a year at its peak in the late nineteen-thirties.