Avis is both a given name, mostly feminine but also masculine, and a surname.
Given name
The earliest form of this female given name was the Old German Haduwig comprising the elements ''hadu'' "battle" and ''wig'' "fight": the original form of the modern German female name
Hedwig Hedwig may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Hedwig (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* Grzegorz Hedwig (born 1988), Polish slalom canoeist
* Johann Hedwig, (1730–1799), German botanist
* Romanus Adol ...
, Haduwig was modified to Havoise by the Normans and subsequent to the Norman Invasion the name occurred frequently in England throughout the Middle Ages, the standard Middle English form of the name being Hawise. As a female given name in modern times, Avis is associated with the Latin ''avis'', meaning "bird", although the spelling
Avice is sometimes found.
People with the given name include:
*
Avis Acres
Thyra Avis Mary Acres (née McNeill, 26 March 1910 – 15 October 1994) was a New Zealand artist, writer, illustrator and conservationist. She is best known for her comic strip about two pohutukawa fairies, ''Hutu and Kawa''.
Biography
Av ...
(1910–1994), New Zealand children's author and illustrator
*
Avis Bohlen (born 1940), American diplomat, former Ambassador to Bulgaria
*
Avis Bunnage
Avis Bunnage (22 April 1923, Ardwick, Manchester – 4 October 1990, Thorpe Bay, Southend-on-Sea) was an English actress of film, stage and television.
She attended Manley Park Municipal School and Chorlton Central School in Manchester. She ...
(1923–1990), British actress
*
Avis DeVoto
Avis is Latin for bird and may refer to:
Aviation
* Auster Avis, a 1940s four-seat light aircraft developed from the Auster Autocrat (abandoned project)
*Avro Avis, a two-seat biplane
* Scottish Aeroplane Syndicate Avis, an early aircraft built b ...
(1904–1989), American editor and collaborator with
Julia Child
*
Avis M. Dry (1922–2007), clinical psychologist and author on the psychology of Carl Jung
*
Avis Favaro (born 1958), Canadian TV medical correspondent
*
Avis Gray (born 1954), Canadian politician
*
Avis Higgs (1918–2016), New Zealand textile designer and painter
*
Avis Hotchkiss, American pioneering motorcyclist who made a round-trip journey from New York to San Francisco with her daughter in 1915
*
Avis Kimble
Avis Kimble (born October 18, 1944) is an American model. At age 17 she was photographed by Jon Pownall to become ''Playboy'' magazine's Playmate of the Month for its November 1962 issue.
Avis was one of three finalists for that year's Playmate ...
(born 1944), American model
*
Avice Landone
Avice Landone (1 September 191012 June 1976) was an English actress who appeared in British television and film.
She was born in Quetta, British India, and made her screen debut in the 1948 film '' My Brother Jonathon''. From 1961 she co-starre ...
(1910–1976), British actress
*
Avis McIntosh
Avis Fletcher (formerly McIntosh, née Brain; born 19 May 1938) is a former New Zealand hurdler and sprinter.
Life
She joined Lynndale Amateur Athletic and Harrier Club in the children's division in the 12- to 13-year-old age group. She also ra ...
(born 1938), New Zealand former sprinter
*
Avis Miller (born 1945), American model and ''Playboy'' Playmate
*
Avis Newman (born 1946), English painter and sculptor
*
Avis Tucker Avis Green Tucker (July 30, 1915 – December 17, 2010) owned ''The Daily Star-Journal'' in Warrensburg, Missouri from 1947 to 2007.
She was born Avis Green in Concordia, Kansas. When she was 18 months her parents moved to Pleasant Hill, Missouri ...
(1915–2010), American owner and publisher of ''The Daily Star-Journal'' newspaper
*
Avis Stearns Van Wagenen (1841–1907), a partner in E. C. Stearns & Company
*
Avis Wyatt (born 1984), American male former basketball player
Surname
*
David Avis (born 1951), Canadian and British computer scientist
*
Gary Avis, English ballet dancer with The Royal Ballet
*
Paul Avis
Paul David Loup Avis (; born 1947) is an English Anglican priest, theologian, and ecumenist. He was General Secretary of the Church of England's Council for Christian Unity from 1998 to 2011, theological consultant to the Anglican Communion Office ...
(born 1947), Anglican priest, theologian and ecumenist
*
Samuel B. Avis (1872–1924), American politician
*
Warren Avis (1915–2007), the founder of Avis Rent A Car
References
English feminine given names
{{Bird-surname