Iva

EE-vuh; IH-va; EYE-vuh
Bulgarian, Croatian, Serbian, Slovene, Slovak, Czech, English
"willow tree; God is gracious; yew tree; bow warrior"

Iva Origin and Meaning

The name Iva is a girl's name meaning "willow tree; God is gracious; yew tree; bow warrior".

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.

# 882 in the US

Iva Rank in US Top 1000

Iva Popularity

Famous People Named Iva

  • Iva Majoli
    Croatian tennis player
  • Iva Troyer
    American reality TV personality ("Breaking Amish: LA")
  • Iva Bittová
    Czech avant,garde violinist, singer and composer
  • Iva Budařová
    Czech tennis player
  • Iva Davies
    (male) Australian lead singer of band Icehouse
  • Iva Ropati
    New Zealand rugby league player

Iva in Pop Culture

  • Iva Snyder
    character on American soap "As the World Turns"
  • Iva
    character from anime/manga "Karneval"
  • Iva Archer
    character in the movie "The Maltese Falcon"

Iva in Nameberry Forums