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Eve

Eve is a Hebrew name meaning "living" or "mother of all living."

Ranked #519 in US baby names in 2025, declining over the past 5 years.

Eve is the first woman in Genesis, named after the Fall narrative because "she was the mother of all living" (Genesis 3:20).

Browse namesRead Eve's story
OriginHebrew
GenderGirl
FeelBiblical
PronunciationEEV

Is Eve biblical?

Yes

Biblical status Direct biblical person

Eve is a named person in Scripture, the first woman in Genesis, wife of Adam and mother of Cain, Abel, and Seth, also named in three New Testament passages.

Is Eve a Christian name?

Yes

Christian tradition Foundational, across traditions

Eve has deep cross-tradition theological significance as the first woman and mother of humanity, with the patristic New Eve typology and the Genesis 3:15 protoevangelium read across Christian tradition.

Plain answer

Eve is the first woman in Genesis and a foundational Christian name with deep theological weight across traditions.

Confidence High Last reviewed July 19, 2026 How this works

Meaning

The meaning of Eve

Eve comes from the Hebrew Chavvah, linguistically related to the verb chayah meaning "to live." Genesis 3:20 gives the etymology directly and unusually explicitly: "And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living." The English form Eve descends through the Greek Heua and Latin Eva, both preserving the same living-and-life register from the Hebrew.

Genesis

Eve in the biblical narrative

Genesis 2 records Eve's creation from Adam's side as a "help meet" (Hebrew ezer kenegdo, literally "a helper corresponding to him"). The Hebrew ezer is used elsewhere in the Old Testament for God as the helper of Israel; the register is one of matched strength, not subordination.

Genesis 3 records the Fall narrative: the serpent's question, Eve's reply, the eating of the fruit, the confrontation, the promise of enmity between the serpent and the woman's seed (Genesis 3:15, read by patristic tradition as the Protoevangelium or first gospel promise). Genesis 3:20 records her naming after these events. Genesis 4 records her three named sons: Cain, Abel, and Seth.

Sound

How to pronounce Eve

Phonetic
EEV
IPA
/iːv/

1 syllable · stress: EEV · ends in a consonant

Forms

Variants and nicknames

Alternate spellings

  • Eva
  • Ava

Short forms and nicknames

  • Evie

Languages

Eve in other languages

Hebrew
חַוָּהChavvahThe original Hebrew form, from the root chayah meaning "to live." Genesis 3:20 gives the etymology directly.
Greek
ΕὕαHeua
Latin
Eva
Spanish
Eva
French
Ève
Italian
Eva
German
Eva
Russian
ЕваYeva

Christian background

Christian and biblical background

Eve is the first woman in Genesis, created from Adam's side in Genesis 2:22 and named after the Fall narrative in Genesis 3:20. She is the mother of Cain, Abel, and Seth (Genesis 4:1, 4:2, 4:25). Beyond Genesis, Eve appears briefly in 2 Corinthians 11:3, 1 Timothy 2:13-14, and Jude 1:11 in New Testament references. In patristic Christian theology, Irenaeus of Lyon (Against Heresies, Book 3) developed the "New Eve" typology reading Mary as the second Eve whose obedience at the Annunciation ("be it unto me according to thy word," Luke 1:38) reverses Eve's disobedience at the Fall. The typology is well-established in Catholic and Orthodox tradition; Protestant engagement varies. Eastern Orthodox tradition commemorates Adam and Eve together as ancestors of Christ on the Sunday before Nativity.

Bearers

Notable people named Eve

  • biblical

    EveFirst woman in Genesis; "mother of all living"; wife of Adam; mother of Cain, Abel, and Seth

  • historical

    Eve ArdenAmerican actress, Oscar-nominated for Mildred Pierce and star of Our Miss Brooks, 1908 to 1990

Naming history

Naming tradition and history

Eve has appeared in the SSA records every year since 1880, one of very few biblical women's names with unbroken presence across the full dataset's 146 years. The name has held a mid-tier position across most of the modern era, peaking at #414 in 1907 during the broader early-twentieth-century biblical-name era. Eve currently sits at #519 in the 2025 SSA data, in steady modern use. The name reads as short, direct, and unmistakably biblical without carrying the Marian-level weight of Mary.

Recent US use

Eve in recent US use

Rank in 2025
#519
Peak rank
#414 in 1907
Recent trend
declining over the last 5 years
Years in the SSA records
146 (since 1880)

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880-2025.

Sibling fit

Sibling name suggestions

Brothers

Pairings

Names paired with Eve

  • Adamspouse

    Eve is Adam's wife in Genesis 2-4; the two names form the first human couple in scripture and appear together throughout the creation and Fall narratives.

For families

For families looking at Eve

For a Christian family, Eve names the first woman and "mother of all living." Ranked #519 in US baby names in 2025, in steady modern use.

Common questions

What does Eve mean?

Eve means "living" or "mother of all living." The Hebrew Chavvah is linguistically related to the verb chayah meaning "to live." Genesis 3:20 gives the etymology directly.

Is Eve a biblical name?

Yes. Eve is the first woman in Genesis, wife of Adam and mother of Cain, Abel, and Seth. She appears in Genesis 2-4 and briefly in three New Testament passages.

Why is Mary called the "New Eve"?

Patristic Christian tradition, notably Irenaeus of Lyon in Against Heresies (Book 3), develops the "New Eve" typology reading Mary as the second Eve whose obedience at the Annunciation reverses Eve's disobedience at the Fall. The typology is well-established in Catholic and Orthodox tradition; Protestant engagement varies.

How popular is the name Eve?

Eve ranked #519 in US baby names in 2025. The name has appeared in the SSA records every year since 1880, one of very few biblical women's names with unbroken presence across the full dataset's 146 years.

Sources

Sources for Eve

  • A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, Brown, Driver, and BriggsSupports: Hebrew etymology (Chavvah, from chayah 'to live'); meaning (living, mother of all living).
  • The Book of Genesis, King James Version (KJV 1769)Supports: scripture context (Genesis 3:20 naming and etymology); biblical figure (first woman).
  • National baby names data, US Social Security Administration (2025 release)Supports: US popularity.

Last reviewed July 19, 2026. See our methodology, or report an error on the corrections page.

Read next

Related names

CainEve's firstborn son (Genesis 4:1). The two names form the earliest human family in scripture; Eve names Cain with the exclamation "I have gotten a man from the LORD."MaryPatristic Christian tradition (notably Irenaeus, Against Heresies Book 3) develops the "New Eve" typology reading Mary as the second Eve whose obedience at the Annunciation reverses Eve's disobedience at the Fall. The typology is well-established in Catholic and Orthodox tradition; Protestant engagement varies.SarahBoth are matriarchs at the opening of major biblical narratives: Eve as the first matriarch of humanity, Sarah as the first matriarch of the covenant line. The parallel opens the biblical women's naming tradition.NaomiBoth Eve and Naomi are named in narratives where the woman is central, and both names carry the theological register of naming after significant life events (Eve after the Fall; Naomi renaming herself Mara in Ruth 1:20 before restoration).HannahBoth are foundational Old Testament mothers whose naming and childbearing narratives shape the biblical women's tradition. Eve as the first mother of humanity, Hannah as the mother of Samuel through prayer.