Tavy
The Tavy is a river on Dartmoor, Devon, England. The name derives from the Brythonic root tam, once thought to mean 'dark' but now generally understood to mean 'to flow'. It has given its name to the town of Tavistock and the villages of Mary Tavy and Peter Tavy.
Meaning & Origin of Tavy
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
The Tavy is a river on Dartmoor, Devon, England. The name derives from the Brythonic root tam, once thought to mean 'dark' but now generally understood to mean 'to flow'. It has given its name to the town of Tavistock and the villages of Mary Tavy and Peter Tavy.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Tavy
Tavy first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1989, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1989, when 5 Tavys were born — ranking #12,360 that year. As of 2026, Tavy ranks #12,360 for baby girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 5 Tavys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Tavy
Phonetically similar names — useful when Tavy 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 Tavy
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About the name Tavy
Tavy is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1989 and has accumulated 5 births in the dataset. Tavy's peak popularity came in 1989 when it ranked #12,360. Use the chart and map above to compare Tavy's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1989 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "T" →
- 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.