Mavis is a vintage classic baby girl’s name that comes from the Old French term “mauvis”. Mavis means “songbird” in French and “purple” in Greek. Mavis was a popular name in the first half of the 20th century and returned to the top 1000 list in 2016 alongside other vintage classics.
Meaning of the name Mavis:
French: songbird
Greek: purple
Origin of the name Mavis:
Mavis is a French baby girl’s name that means “songbird”. Mavis comes from the Old French term “mauvis” and is the French term for a type of bird called the song thrush. Mavis also means “purple” in Greek.
Symbolism of the name Mavis:
Mavis is the French term for the song thrush. The song thrush is around 8 or 9” in size and has a brown and buff speckled pattern. Song thrush is a symbol of hope in adversity.
Style of the name Mavis:
traditional
Gender of the name Mavis:
Mavis is a girl's name.
Pronunciation of the name Mavis:
MAY-vis (English), MO-VET (French)
Number of syllables in the name Mavis:
two
Emotion evoked from the name Mavis:
Mavis evokes feelings of compassion and beauty.
Alternative spellings for the name Mavis:
Mauvis, Mayvis, Mavys, Maves
Nicknames for the name Mavis:
- May
- Mav
- Vee
- Vis
Popularity of the name Mavis:
According to the Social Security Administration, Mavis is a popular baby girl’s name. Mavis was in the top 1000 baby names from 1900 to 1963 and then returned in 2016. It peaked at #270 in 1927. It sits at #841 as of 2020.
Related names for the name Mavis:
Great middle names for the name Mavis and their meanings:
- Irina (peace)
- Safira (sapphire)
- Ysandre (defending men)
- Priscilla (ancient)
- Wilhelmina (resolute protection)
- Amelia (work)
- Claudia (lame, enclosure)
- Esme (beloved)
Famous people with the name Mavis:
- Mavis Pugh (English actress)
- Mavis Jukes (American children's author)
- Mavis Nicholson (English television presenter)
- Mavis Clare Villiers (Australian-British actress)
- Mavis Cheek (English novelist)
Mavis in popular culture:
- Mavis Dracula (film, “Hotel Transylvania”)
- Mavis Clare (literature, “The Sorrows of Satan” by Marie Corelli)
- Mavis Vermillion (television, “Fairy Tail”)
- Mavis Mave Carter (television, “Call the Midwife”)
- Mavis Anderson (television, “Dallas”)