Arva
A girl's name of Latin origin with 552 recorded U.S. births.
Meaning & Origin
an ancient city in Hispania Baetica
Arva is a girl's baby name of Latin origin, from the Latin arvum meaning 'arable land' or 'plowed field,' evoking the fertile, cultivated earth that sustains life. The name carries the pastoral richness of Latin agricultural vocabulary.
Arva was used occasionally in the American Midwest and South in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, where its connection to good, productive farmland would have resonated with farming communities who saw the land as their greatest blessing.
EtymologyShow more
Phonetically, Arva belongs to a cluster of names characterized by their open, warm ending — a soft ending that crosses many language boundaries. At two syllables, it has a two-beat rhythm that is easy to call across a room and natural in conversation.
Within the Latin naming tradition, names with similar sound structures often share underlying etymological patterns. Exploring Latin names on this site may surface connections that illuminate Arva’s linguistic neighborhood.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
Arva has 50+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 1893.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Avg Rank | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5 | #8512 | ▼ |
| 1960s | 23 | #5280 | ▼ |
| 1950s | 70 | #4315 | ▲ |
| 1940s | 61 | #3092 | ▼ |
| 1930s | 122 | #2531 | ▼ |
| 1920s | 160 | #2352 | ▲ |
| 1910s | 89 | #2516 | ▲ |
| 1900s | 5 | #1696 | ▼ |
| 1890s | 17 | #1479 | — |
The Story of Arva
A Greatest Generation name
Peaking in 1926, Arva is a name steeped in history. Girls named Arva are most likely born between 1916 and 1936.
How rare is Arva?
With 552 total births on record, Arva remains a rare and distinctive pick.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 1893, grew steadily over the decades, peaked in the 1920s with 160 births that decade, and has since become a rare, vintage choice.
Arva by the numbers
- Would fill 12 school buses
- Meeting one Arva per day would take 1.5 years
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(50 years, 1893–1973)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 5 | #8512 |
| 1965 | 5 | #6600 |
| 1963 | 11 | #4035 |
| 1960 | 7 | #5204 |
| 1959 | 7 | #5063 |
| 1958 | 7 | #4925 |
| 1957 | 6 | #5411 |
| 1955 | 8 | #4391 |
| 1954 | 9 | #3990 |
| 1952 | 12 | #3211 |
| 1951 | 6 | #4873 |
| 1950 | 15 | #2659 |
| 1948 | 12 | #2978 |
| 1947 | 9 | #3718 |
| 1943 | 8 | #3510 |
| 1942 | 11 | #2829 |
| 1941 | 12 | #2542 |
| 1940 | 9 | #2973 |
| 1939 | 11 | #2604 |
| 1938 | 8 | #3194 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Arva a boy's or girl's name?
When was Arva most popular?
How popular is the name Arva?
Explore More
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1893–1973