Marva
Marva is a given name. Notable people with the name include:Marva Beck, American politician Marva Collins (1936–2015), American educator Marva Dawn (1948-2021), American Christian theologian, author, musician and educator Marva Hicks Marva Jean Brooks Marva Josie, American jazz singer Marva Mollet, the Belgian singer known professionally as Marva Marva Smith, American judge Marva Whitney…
- English
Meaning & Origin of Marva
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Marva is a given name. Notable people with the name include:Marva Beck, American politician Marva Collins (1936–2015), American educator Marva Dawn (1948-2021), American Christian theologian, author, musician and educator Marva Hicks Marva Jean Brooks Marva Josie, American jazz singer Marva Mollet, the Belgian singer known professionally as Marva Marva Smith, American judge Marva Whitney…
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Marva
The earliest SSA record of Marva as a baby girl name dates back to 1913, when 5 babies received it. 1948 was its biggest year on record, with 371 newborns named Marva — #410 in the national rankings. About 30% of every Marva on record arrived during the 1940s, its defining decade. Marva last appeared in the published SSA data in 2023, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 10K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1910s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Marva
Phonetically similar names — useful when Marva is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Marva
What does the name Marva mean?
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About the name Marva
Marva is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1913 and has accumulated 10K births in the dataset. Marva's peak popularity came in 1948 when it ranked #410. Use the chart and map above to compare Marva's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1948 →
- Names of the 1940s →
- Names starting with "M" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.