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    The first name Octavia

    A girl’s name from Latin meaning “the eighth”.

    Pronounced /əkˈteɪ.vi.ə/ 4 syllables Female

    Meaning and origin

    Latin origin

    Octavia means “the eighth” in Latin.

    From Latin Octāvia, feminine form of the gens name Octāvius, from octavus (“the eighth”).

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 80 girls were named Octavia, making it the 502nd most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2021, with 123 births (#373).

    0100200 1996200020052010201520202025
    1,323
    babies named Octavia, 1996–2025
    #502
    rank in 2025
    2021
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Octavia with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Octavia at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 982 girls born in the United States were named Octavia, the 308th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2021, when 1,238 were.

    01,0002,000 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    24,117
    babies named Octavia since 1880
    #308
    rank in 2025
    2021
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Octavia in other languages

    Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary

    Octàvia
    Catalan
    Octavie
    French
    Ottavia
    Italian

    Spelled Octavia in Indonesian too.

    Nicknames and spellings

    Nicknames for Octavia

    • Tavy

    Famous people named Octavia

    5 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Octavia Spencer
      American actress, born 1970
    • Octavia E. Butler
      American science fiction writer (1947-2006)
    • Octavia Hill
      English social reformer (1838-1912)
    • Helen Octavia Dickens
      American physician, 1909–2001
    • Octavia Rogers Albert
      African-American author of Life history, 1853–1889

    More Latin girls’ names

    All 381 names of Latin origin

    Questions

    What does the name Octavia mean?
    Octavia means “the eighth” in Latin.
    What is the origin of the name Octavia?
    From Latin Octāvia, feminine form of the gens name Octāvius, from octavus (“the eighth”).
    How popular is the name Octavia?
    In 2025, 80 girls born in England and Wales were named Octavia, ranking 502nd. Its peak was 2021, with 123 births.
    What are nicknames for Octavia?
    Common nicknames for Octavia include Tavy.
    Is Octavia a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a girl's name: 99% of the 24,117 US babies named Octavia since 1880 were girls.
    When was Octavia most popular?
    2021 in the United States, when 1,238 babies were named Octavia, its highest rank at 248th.
    How do you pronounce Octavia?
    Octavia is /əkˈteɪ.vi.ə/, 4 syllables.