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The short answer
Mavis is a feminine name used in English. Behind the Name describes it this way: "From the name of the type of bird, also called the song thrush, derived from Old French mauvis, of uncertain origin. It was first used as a given name by the British author Marie Corelli, who used it for a character in her novel The Sorrows of Satan (1895)." It ranked #561 for girls in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
According to Behind the Name, from the name of the type of bird, also called the song thrush, derived from Old French mauvis, of uncertain origin. It was first used as a given name by the British author Marie Corelli, who used it for a character in her novel The Sorrows of Satan (1895). The entry lists its usage as English.
Editorial confidence: uncertain
Popularity
Mavis ranked #561 for girls in the United States in 2025. The figure comes from the Social Security Administration's national file for that year.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #561 | ssa-2025 |
If you like this name
Names that Behind the Name files under the same origin (English) and that sit near Mavis in the 2025 American rankings.
Similar by origin
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Mavis mean?
Behind the Name does not give Mavis a one-word meaning. It describes the name as follows: from the name of the type of bird, also called the song thrush.
Is Mavis a popular name?
Mavis ranked #561 for girls in the United States in 2025. (Social Security Administration data).
Is Mavis a boy's or a girl's name?
In the 2025 SSA data Mavis appears in the girls' list; Behind the Name labels it feminine.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Mavis — supports meaning, usage, pronunciation, variants.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
