Mavis is a female given name, derived from a name for the common Old World song thrush. Its first modern usage was in

Marie Corelli Mary Mackay (1 May 185521 April 1924), also called Minnie Mackey, and known by her pseudonym Marie Corelli (, also , ), was an English novelist. From the appearance of her first novel ''A Romance of Two Worlds'' in 1886, she became the bestsel ...

's 1895 novel ''

The Sorrows of Satan ''The Sorrows of Satan'' is an 1895 Faustian novel by Marie Corelli. It is widely regarded as one of the world's first best-sellers – partly due to an upheaval in the system British libraries used to purchase their books, and partly due to its ...

'', which featured a character named Mavis Clare (whose name was said to be "rather odd but suitable", as "she sings quite as sweetly as any thrush"). The name was long obsolete by the 19th century, but known from its poetic use, as in

Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 175921 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who hav ...

's 1794 poem ''Ca' the Yowes'' ("Hark the mavis evening sang/Sounding Clouden's woods amang"); and in the popular love song "Mary of Argyle" (c.1850), where lyricist Charles Jefferys wrote, "I have heard the mavis singing its love-song to the morn." ''Mavis'' had its height of popularity between the 1920s and 1940s. Its usage declined thereafter, and it has been rather unfashionable since the 1960s.

Notable people

* Mavis Adjei, Ghanaian actress *

Mavis Akoto Mavis Akoto (born 22 March 1978) is a Ghanaian sprinter. She competed in the women's 4 × 100 metres relay at the 2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 (D ...

, Ghanaian sprinter *

Mavis Batey Mavis Lilian Batey, MBE (née Lever; 5 May 1921 – 12 November 2013), was a British code-breaker during World War II. She was one of the leading female codebreakers at Bletchley Park. She later became a historian of gardening who campaign ...

MBE Mbe may refer to: * Mbé, a town in the Republic of the Congo * Mbe Mountains Community Forest, in Nigeria * Mbe language, a language of Nigeria * Mbe' language, language of Cameroon * ''mbe'', ISO 639 code for the extinct Molala language Molal ...

(1921-2013), English code-breaker during World War II * Mavis Biesanz (1919–2008), Finnish-American writer and sociologist * Mavis B. Carroll (1917–2009), American statistician * Mavis Cheek (b. 1948), English novelist and feminist * Mavis Chirandu (b. 1995), Zimbabwean footballer *

Mavis Thorpe Clark Mavis Thorpe Clark AM (26 June 1909 – 8 July 1999) was an Australian novelist and writer for children who was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Victoria is a state in southeastern Australia. It is the second-smallest state with a ...

, AM (1909-1999), Australian novelist and children's writer * Mavis Danso (b. 1984), Ghanaian footballer * Mavis Doering (1929–2007), Cherokee Nation basketmaker from Oklahoma * Mavis Dgajmah (b. 1973), Ghanaian footballer * Mavis Ehlert (1922–2007), British-Canadian sculptor *

Mavis Fan Mavis Fan (; born 27 February 1977) is a Taiwanese singer and actress. Life and career Fan began her singing career in the mid 90s as a pop idol, singing songs catered mostly towards children and young teenagers. Fan was raised only by her mot ...

(b. 1977), Taiwanese singer *

Mavis Freeman Mavis Anne Freeman (November 7, 1918 – October 1988) was an American competition swimmer who represented the United States in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany. Freeman received a bronze medal as a member of the third-place U.S. tea ...

(1918–1988), American swimmer who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics *

Mavis Gallant Mavis Leslie de Trafford Gallant, , née Young (11 August 1922 – 18 February 2014), was a Canadian writer who spent much of her life and career in France. Best known as a short story writer, she also published novels, plays and essays. Pe ...

(1922–2014), Canadian writer *

Mavis Gibson Mavis Gibson is a Zimbabwean lawyer and judge who was the first black woman appointed to High Court of Zimbabwe, and the first female and longest serving-justice of the High Court of Namibia. Born Mavis Gumede in Zimbabwe, Gibson was originally ...

, Zimbabwean lawyer, first black woman judge of the High Court of Zimbabwe, and first woman judge of the High Court of Namibia *

Mavis Gray Mavis Gray (born 12 February 1944; née Beckett) is a former Australian field hockey player. Gray was born in Bunbury, Western Australia and represented Australia and Western Australia in a comparatively long career.''W.A. Hall of Champions'' ind ...

née Beckett (b. 1944), Australian field hockey player *

Mavis Doriel Hay Mavis Doriel Hay (1894–1979), also known as M. Doriel Hay, was a British author of detective fiction and of non-fiction works on handicrafts. Life Hay was born in Potters Bar in Middlesex, England on 12 or 13 February 1894 and attended St ...

(1894–1979), British author *

Mavis Hee Mavis Hee (born Xu MeiJing, , 27 September 1974) is a Singaporean singer, songwriter and actress. She was the second runner-up and also Miss Photogenic and Miss Amity for Singapore's Miss Chinatown Pageant 1992. Career Hee's first album ''Kno ...

(b. 1974), Singaporean singer *

Mavis Hinds Mavis Kathleen Hinds (1929–2009) was an English meteorologist who, together with Fred Bushby, pioneered the use of computers to carry out meteorological calculations in the UK. She studied Mathematics at University College London (UCL) and on g ...

(1929–2009), English meteorologist *

Mavis Hutchinson Mavis Hutchison (25 November 1924 – 19 May 2022) was a South African athlete, primarily known for running in ultramarathons. Career Born in South Africa, Hutchison's career began as a race walker, and her first record was in the 50-mile walk k ...

, first woman to run across the United States *

Mavis Jones Mavis Jones (10 December 1922 - 1990) was an Australian cricketer. Jones was born in Melbourne, Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provinci ...

(1922–1990), Australian cricket player *

Mavis Jukes Dorothy Mavis Jukes (pseudonym Iris Hudson; born May 3, 1947) is an American author of novels for children. She has also published nonfiction books for children and pre-teens about puberty. Her books are usually health-based. She has also written ...

(b. 1947), American children's author * Mavis Kelsey (1912–2013), American internist and one of the founders of the Kelsey-Seybold Clinic * Mavis Hawa Koomson (b. 1966), Ghanaian politician and educationist * Mavis Le Marquand,

Jersey Jersey ( , ; nrf, Jèrri, label= Jèrriais ), officially the Bailiwick of Jersey (french: Bailliage de Jersey, links=no; Jèrriais: ), is an island country and self-governing Crown Dependency near the coast of north-west France. It is the l ...

lawn bowler *

Mavis Leno Mavis Elizabeth Nicholson Leno (born September 5, 1946) is an American philanthropist and wife of Jay Leno, the former host of ''The Tonight Show''. A leading feminist in California, in the United States as a whole, and internationally, Leno keep ...

(b. 1946), American feminist and wife of Jay Leno *

Mavis Maclean Mavis Maclean, (born 31 December 1943) is a British legal scholar. She has carried out socio-legal research at the University of Oxford since 1974, and in 2001 founded the Oxford Centre for Family Law and Policy (OXFLAP). In 1993 she was elect ...

FRSA The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), also known as the Royal Society of Arts, is a London-based organisation committed to finding practical solutions to social challenges. The RSA acronym is used m ...

(b. 1943), socio-legal researcher at the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

and founder of the Oxford Centre for Family Law and Policy (OXFLAP) *

Mavis Meadowcroft Mavis Edna Meadowcroft (1926-2008) was an international lawn bowls competitor for Australia. She won the triples gold medal and fours silver medal at the 1985 World Outdoor Bowls Championship in Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiw ...

(1926–2008), Australian lawn bowler *

Mavis Moyo Mavis Moyo is a veteran broadcaster of Radio Zimbabwe (ZBC Radio 4) and a founding member of the Federation of African Media Women Zimbabwe (FAMWZ 1985). During the 1980s and 1990s she was leading a project, which became known as Development Thr ...

(b. 1929), Radio Zimbabwe broadcaster and founding member of the Federation of African Media Women Zimbabwe (FAMWZ) *

Mavis Mullins Mavis Raylene Mullins (née Paewai) is a New Zealand businesswoman. She is Māori and identifies with Rangitāne, Te Atihaunui-a-Paparangi and Ngāti Ranginui iwi. Mullins began her working life as a wool classer in her family's shearing bus ...

, New Zealand businesswoman * Mavis Nicholson (b. 1930), Welsh broadcaster *

Mavis Ogun Mavis Ogun (born 24 August 1973) is a Nigerian footballer who played as a defender (association football), defender for the Nigeria women's national football team. She was part of the team at the 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup, 1995 FIFA Women's Wor ...

(b. 1973), Nigerian footballer who played in three FIFA Women's World Cups * Mavis Pugh (1914–2006), English actress and comedian *

Mavis Rivers Mavis Chloe Rivers (19 May 1929 – 29 May 1992) was a Samoan and New Zealand jazz singer. She was born in Apia, Samoa, as one of thirteen children to a musical family. In 1954, she moved to the United States. She married Glicerio Reyes "David" ...

(1929–1992), Samoan and New Zealand jazz singer * Mavis Smitheman, local body councillor for Ardwick, Manchester * Mavis Staines (b. 1954), Canadian ballet dancer * Mavis Staples (b. 1939), American rhythm and blues singer *

Mavis Steele Mavis Mary Steele (1928-1998) was an England international Lawn bowling, lawn bowler. Personal life Mavis was born in Kenton, London, Kenton, Middlesex on 9 September 1928. She was a data preparation manager by trade. Bowls career In 1973 she ...

(1928–1998), British lawn bowler * Mavis Sweeney (1909–1986), Australian hospital pharmacist who was awarded The Evans Medal for Merit in 1968 *

Mavis Taillieu Mavis Taillieu (born August 8, 1952) is a former politician in Manitoba, Canada. She was a member of the Manitoba legislature from 2003 to 2013, representing the opposition Progressive Conservative Party and served as the critic of Culture, Her ...

(b. 1952), Canadian politician *

Mavis Tate Mavis Constance Tate (born Maybird Hogg; 17 August 1893 – 5 June 1947) was a British Conservative politician and campaigner for British women's rights. Life Her first marriage, to Captain G. H. Gott, lasted from 1915 until their divorce in 1 ...

(1893–1947), British Conservative Party politician and feminist, born Maybird Hogg *

Mavis Taylor Mavis Taylor (1914 – 17 March 2007) was an Australian who was named an Australian Living Treasure for her humanitarian work for the people of East Timor in her later years. Life Mrs Taylor was born in Richmond, Victoria in 1914 At 16 she mo ...

(1915–2007), Australian humanitarian *

Mavis Tchibota Mavis Tchibota Dufounou ( he, מאויס צ'יבוטה דפונו; born 7 May 1996) is a Congolese footballer who plays as a Striker for Israeli Premier League club Hapoel Tel Aviv and the Congo national football team. Club career Tchibota ...

(b. 1996), Congolese footballer * Mavis Villiers (1911–1976), British actress *

Mavis Wilson Mavis Wilson (born ) is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. She was a Ontario Liberal Party, Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1987 to 1990 who represented the riding of Dufferin—Caledon (provincial electoral distr ...

( fl. 1980–90s), Canadian politician

Fictional characters

* Mavis Anderson, secondary character and best friend to Miss Ellie Ewing ( Barbara Bel Geddes) in ''

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

'' *

Mavis Beacon Mavis is a female given name, derived from a name for the common Old World song thrush. Its first modern usage was in Marie Corelli's 1895 novel ''The Sorrows of Satan'', which featured a character named Mavis Clare (whose name was said to be "rat ...

, the eponymous African-American typing instructor of the Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing software * Mavis Bramston, from ''

The Mavis Bramston Show ''The Mavis Bramston Show'' was a weekly Australian television satirical sketch comedy revue series which aired on the Seven Network from 1964 to 1968. Inspired by the British TV satirical revue TV shows of the period (notably ''That Was The Week ...

'' (1964–1968), an Australian television satire * Mavis Buckey, an anthropomorphic animal character from the '' Funny Farm'' series * Mavis Clare, a popular author who resists the temptation of the Devil in ''

'' by

* Mavis Cruet, an obese young fairy incapable of flight, from the British children's animated series ''

Willo the Wisp ''Willo the Wisp'' is a British cartoon series originally produced in 1981 by the BBC and narrated by Kenneth Williams. It became popular with children and adults, as it bridged the gap between the end of weekday children's programming and t ...

'' * Mavis Davis, a pseudonymous singer in the British comedy ''

Bring Me the Head of Mavis Davis ''Bring Me the Head of Mavis Davis'' is a British comedy film directed by John Henderson, originally released in 1997. The film stars Rik Mayall, Jane Horrocks, Danny Aiello and Ross Boatman. The title and plot reference Peckinpah's ''Bring M ...

'' * Mavis DeVere, one version of the actual name of Bubbles DeVere, a character in the BBC comedy series '' Little Britain'' * Mavis Dracula, a 118-year-old vampire and the daughter of

Count Dracula Count Dracula () is the title character of Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. He is considered to be both the prototypical and the archetypal vampire in subsequent works of fiction. Aspects of the character are believed by some ...

in the ''

Hotel Transylvania ''Hotel Transylvania'' is an American animated media franchise created by comedy writer Todd Durham and produced by Sony Pictures Animation. It consists of four feature films, three short films, a flash-animated TV series, and several video ...

'' movie franchise * Mavis Freestone, a singer in the ''...

in Death The ''...in Death'' series of novels and novellas is written by Nora Roberts under her pseudonym J. D. Robb. Set in a mid-21st-century New York City, they feature NYPSD ("New York City Police and Security Department") lieutenant Eve Dallas and he ...

'' series of detective novels * Mavis Gary, the main character of ''

Young Adult A young adult is generally a person in the years following adolescence. Definitions and opinions on what qualifies as a young adult vary, with works such as Erik Erikson's stages of human development significantly influencing the definition of ...

'' *

Mavis Madling ''Designing Women'' is an American television sitcom created by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason that aired on CBS from September 29, 1986, to May 24, 1993, producing seven seasons and 163 episodes. It was a joint production of Bloodworth/Thomason M ...

, in the situation comedy series ''

Designing Women ''Designing Women'' is an American television sitcom created by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason that aired on CBS from September 29, 1986, to May 24, 1993, producing seven seasons and 163 episodes. It was a joint production of Bloodworth/Thomason ...

'' * Mavis McCready, a recurring character in the television series '' Greenleaf'', portrayed by Oprah Winfrey * Mavis Ming, title character of

Michael Moorcock Michael John Moorcock (born 18 December 1939) is an English writer, best-known for science fiction and fantasy, who has published a number of well-received literary novels as well as comic thrillers, graphic novels and non-fiction. He has worke ...

's '' The Transformation of Miss Mavis Ming'', part of his '' Dancers at the End of Time'' series * Mavis Munro, office manager in the comic book series '' Supernatural Law'' and ''Supernatural Law Secretary Mavis'' * Mavis, a minor character in The Addy Book Series from '' American Girl'' * Mavis, a thirteen year old girl with the powers of the birds of the world in the children's book series Mavis A Genuine Heroine * Mavis Pike, in the British situation comedy ''

Dad's Army ''Dad's Army'' is a British television sitcom about the United Kingdom's Home Guard during the Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, and originally broadcast on BBC1 from 31 July 1968 to 13 November 1977. It ran fo ...

'' * Mavis Rae, main character in the situation comedy '' Whoopi'' * Mavis Vermillion, founder and first master of the same-named guild in manga and anime ''

Fairy Tail ''Fairy Tail'' is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiro Mashima. It was serialized in Kodansha's ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' from August 2006 to July 2017, with the individual chapters collected and published into 63 ' ...

'' *

Mavis Wilton Mavis Wilton (also Riley) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera '' Coronation Street'', played by Thelma Barlow. A long-running series regular, Mavis appeared in the show for 26 years from 1971 to 1997. Introduced for ...

, in the British soap opera '' Coronation Street'' * Dark Mavis, recurring character in English rock band

Mansun Mansun were an English alternative rock band, formed in Chester in 1995. The band comprised vocalist/rhythm guitarist Paul Draper, bassist Stove King, lead guitarist/backing vocalist Dominic Chad, and drummer Andie Rathbone. It was announced ...

's debut album ''

Attack of the Grey Lantern ''Attack of the Grey Lantern'' is the debut album by English alternative rock band Mansun released in February 1997 via Parlophone. The album spent a total of 19 weeks on the UK Albums Chart, peaking at number one. Background According to Mansu ...

'' * Mavis (DC Comics), two fictional characters who first appeared in the DC Comics universe * Mavis, from the BBC comedy ''

Open All Hours ''Open All Hours'' is a British television sitcom created and written by Roy Clarke for the BBC. It ran for 26 episodes in four series, which aired in 1976, 1981, 1982 and 1985. The programme developed from a television pilot broadcast in Ronn ...

'' * Mavis, a diesel locomotive character from ''

The Railway Series ''The Railway Series'' is a series of British books about a railway known as the North Western Railway, located on the fictional Island of Sodor. There are 42 books in the series, the first published in May 1945 by the Rev. Wilbert Awdry. Tw ...

'' books by the Rev. W. Awdry and from the derived children's television series ''

Thomas & Friends ''Thomas & Friends'' (originally known as ''Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends'' and later ''Thomas & Friends: Big World! Big Adventures!'') is a British children's television series that aired across 24 series from 1984 to 2021. Based on ''The ...

References

{{given name, cat=English feminine given names