Fun Facts About the Name Mav
- 67 babies named Mav: U.S. records list 67 babies given the name Mav from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Mav Mean?
Mav is a short form rather than a name with a single ancient root. In English use it is most often a clipped form of Maverick and also a short form of Mavis, so its sense depends on which name it stands for.
Maverick started as an English surname of uncertain origin, recorded in Devon and carried to New England in the 1600s. Mavis is the English name of the song thrush, borrowed from Old French mauvis, and was later taken up as a personal name. Because the two parent names are unrelated, Mav has no meaning of its own beyond "short form of" either one.
Mav Name History & Origins
Mav is a clipped name of the kind that grows out of speech rather than translation. As a nickname for Maverick it works the same way as Cal from Calvin or Wes from Wesley: the opening syllable is kept and the rest is dropped. In that use it is mainly a North American name, and it also appears as a given name in its own right, for both boys and girls. As a short form of Mavis it belongs instead to the English tradition of bird names used for girls.
The surname behind Maverick is recorded in England, especially in Devon. Samuel Maverick, who came from that county, was among the earliest settlers of Boston in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. A later bearer, Samuel A. Maverick (1803 - 1870), ranched near San Antonio, Texas, and because his cattle were left unbranded, Texans began calling any unbranded calf a maverick; the word later came to describe an independent-minded person. That famous word grew out of the surname and helped keep it familiar, but it is a separate development from the personal name Mav.
Mavis entered English as a bird name and was adopted as a given name in the English-speaking world; Mav is one of the shortened forms that followed from it. Where Mav is written on its own, it is usually a modern, informal given name rather than a traditional form passed down through earlier languages.
How Popular is the Name Mav?
Mav has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2024. Its best rank was #6,335 in 2024.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #8,026 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2024 | #6,335 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2023 | #7,141 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2022 | #7,091 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2021 | #10,400 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2020 | #10,216 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2019 | #13,435 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Mav Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have psychic power. You can carry on for others with joy. You have a receptive nature and may bear burdens for others. You are pragmatic, thorough, strong-willed, practical and stubborn at times. You are hard working, often martyr to duty. You like home and security above all. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Mav's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Mav's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.