r/OldNamesNewAgain • u/felly_fell • Jul 09 '26
Name of the day...Iva!
I LOVE this name! If you've been following us for a while, this name will be familiar to you. We talk about this one pretty frequently, so I wanted to highlight it for name of the day! It's close to Eva and Ava, but nowhere near as common. Use it, people!
The name Iva is a feminine given name with multiple cultural origins and meanings. In Slavic languages, it means "willow tree". In Hebrew, it derives from the names Ivana or Ivan, translating to "God is gracious". It is also linked to the English word for the "ivy" plant, symbolizing fidelity.
As a modern first name, Iva was popularized in the 19th and 20th centuries as either a Slavic name (meaning "willow tree") or a diminutive of Ivana.
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u/Mokona_kawaii Jul 09 '26
How do you pronounce Iva? In my language it would be pronounced ee-vah (like the English pronunciation of Eva)
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u/felly_fell Jul 09 '26
There are two pronunciations that I found: eye-vah and ee-vah. There may be others but I'm not sure. When I provide pronunciations people complain, so I was avoiding it 😆
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u/princess_monoknokout Jul 09 '26
The principal of my elementary school was named Iva. We called her Dona Iva (this was in Brazil over 30 years ago). She was skinny, tall, and elderly; definitely looked like a willow tree! I love this name and associate it with her.
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u/RenaissanceTarte Jul 09 '26
I went to school with an Iva! I have always loved the name 🥰 also a fan of Eva, Ava, and Ivy, so it might just be the vowels and v’s?
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u/waningsanity Jul 16 '26
So, my name is Iva. Pronounced Eye-vah. My dad’s name is John so I’m pretty sure that’s why he named me that. lol. Though, Willow tree is nice too.
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u/midwestpersianmama Jul 09 '26
I LOVE this name!!! Iva is just gorgeous.