The name Eabha (with or without the fada!) was the 15th most popular name in the country in 2020. Now it’s fallen to 339th place, with only eleven babies named Eabha, or Éabha, in 2023, according to the Central Statistics Office. But variations on the name are continuing to be popular, and we predict a resurgence in popularity for the oh-so-Irish name Éabha. Especially since popular versions such as Eve, Eva and Aoife, are in the top 100 in Ireland.
The US-site nameberry.com reveals that Éabha, "along with Aoife and Aoibhe and even the Anglo Ava, are all Eve sisters or soundalikes in the Irish Top 100".
And they also profess that though it’s a name that’s so easy to love, it is almost impossible for anyone outside of Ireland to pronounce!
What does Éabha mean?
Éabha means "life", or "to breathe", a beautiful meaning for any name. And interestingly, it all makes sense when you look at variations on the name, and their origins.
The related Eve actually comes from the Hebrew name "ḥawwah". Its origins are from the Hebrew word ‘chavvâh’ – which, in turn, mean "live" or "living". Amazing how language works in mysterious, interconnected ways!
How popular are the variations?
Eve is one of the most well-known variations on the name Eabha. It came in 76th place of all baby girls recorded in Ireland in 2023.
Eva was even more popular, ranked 52nd in Ireland in 2023. In total, 104 baby girls were recorded with the name Eva in this year.
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Aoife ranked even higher (in 31st place nationwide), with 148 babies named Aoife in 2023. My own daughter is named Aoife, and she is all the things this name proclaims: beautiful, radiant and joyful.
And the most popular by far is Ava – which, to the chagrin of people outside of this island of ours, is pronounced just like ‘Eva’.
It ranks far higher than Eva though, according to the CSO. In 2023, Ava was ranked 15 of all baby girls recorded in Ireland. In total, 207 baby girls were recorded with the name Ava that year.
Famous people called Éabha
There actually aren’t that many famous people called Éabha just yet, but we’ve found two for you – and another very famous lady with one of the variants.
Éabha McMahon – The first name that pops up when you look up famous people called Éabha is Éabha McMahon – an Irish singer, born in 1990, who previously was in the band Celtic Women. She changed her artist name to Ava in 2020, presumably due to the spelling and pronunciation difficulties for anyone who’s not living in Ireland.
Éabha Rutledge – Éabha Rutledge is a Dublin GAA player who plays for Kilmacud Crokes. She’s an All-Ireland medallist who helped Dublin beat Galway in 2019.
Looking at variations on the name, one we all know and love is rising star Eve Hewson. According to IMDB, her first starring role was in "This Must Be The Place" in 2011, and she has been going from strength to strength since. Daughter of activist Ali Hewson and U2 frontman Bono, IMDB explains that she was named Eve after being born at 7 am on 7 July, as eve is the middle of the word seven.
Will you name your child Éabha, or do you have a special girl with one of the lovely variations in your life? Let us know.
* This article was originally published on Rollercoaster.ie.
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