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 "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'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 Charles Jefferys (11 January 1807 – 9 June 1865, in London) was an English music publisher and composer of songs. Career Jefferys carried on a London music publishing business. In 1854 he won a legal action with Thomas Boosey, respecting copy ...

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 Mavis Adjei is a Ghanaian actress currently based in The Netherlands. Early life and education Adjei hails from the diamond town of Akwatia in the Eastern Region of Ghana. She had her secondary education at Swedru Agona Swedru is a t ...

, Ghanaian actress * Mavis Akoto, Ghanaian sprinter * Mavis Batey, MBE (1921-2013), English code-breaker during World War II * Mavis Biesanz (1919–2008), Finnish-American writer and sociologist *

Mavis B. Carroll Mavis Bowler Carroll (October 12, 1917 – March 7, 2009) was an American statistician who pioneered the industrial use of statistics in her work at General Foods. Carroll finished high school at age 16 and attended the New Jersey College for Wom ...

(1917–2009), American statistician *

Mavis Cheek Mavis Cheek (born 1948) is an English novelist, author of 15 novels. Some of these have been widely translated into other languages. Life Born in Wimbledon, now part of London, Mavis only met her father once, at the age of seven. Her mother work ...

(b. 1948), English novelist and feminist *

Mavis Chirandu Mavis Chirandu (born 15 January 1995) is a Zimbabwean association football, footballer who plays for Weerams F.C. and the Zimbabwe women's national football team. Biography and career As a Infant, newborn, Chirandu was abandoned by her mother ...

(b. 1995), Zimbabwean footballer * Mavis Thorpe Clark, AM (1909-1999), Australian novelist and children's writer *

Mavis Danso Mavis Danso (born 24 March 1984) is a Ghanaian women's international footballer who plays as a defender. She is a member of the Ghana women's national football team. She was part of the team at the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup and 2007 FIFA Women ...

(b. 1984), Ghanaian footballer * Mavis Doering (1929–2007),

Cherokee Nation The Cherokee Nation (Cherokee: ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ ''Tsalagihi Ayeli'' or ᏣᎳᎩᏰᎵ ''Tsalagiyehli''), also known as the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, is the largest of three Cherokee federally recognized tribes in the United States. It ...

basketmaker from Oklahoma *

Mavis Dgajmah Mavis Dgajmah (born 21 December 1973) is a Ghanaian women's international footballer who plays as a forward. She was a member of the Ghana women's national football team. She was part of the team at the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup and at the 2003 ...

(b. 1973), Ghanaian footballer *

Mavis Ehlert Una Mavis Ehlert (30 January 1922 – 14 December 2007) was a British-Canadian sculptor. Early life and education Ehlert was born in Bristol, England. Her brother, John Sander, a painter, introduced her to the art world. Ehlert specialized in com ...

(1922–2007), British-Canadian sculptor * Mavis Fan (b. 1977), Taiwanese singer * Mavis Freeman (1918–1988), American swimmer who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics * Mavis Gallant (1922–2014), Canadian writer * Mavis Gibson, Zimbabwean lawyer, first black woman judge of the High Court of Zimbabwe, and first woman judge of the High Court of Namibia * Mavis Gray née Beckett (b. 1944), Australian field hockey player * Mavis Doriel Hay (1894–1979), British author * Mavis Hee (b. 1974), Singaporean singer * Mavis Hinds (1929–2009), English meteorologist * Mavis Hutchinson, first woman to run across the United States * Mavis Jones (1922–1990), Australian cricket player * Mavis Jukes (b. 1947), American children's author *

Mavis Kelsey Mavis Parrott Kelsey Sr. (October 7, 1912 – November 12, 2013) was an American internist and one of the founders of the Kelsey-Seybold Clinic in 1949, now a large, multi-specialty clinic system located in the metro area of Houston, Texas. K ...

(1912–2013), American internist and one of the founders of the Kelsey-Seybold Clinic *

Mavis Hawa Koomson Mavis Hawa Koomson (born 3 February 1966) is a Ghanaian politician and educationist. She is the Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya East Constituency and doubles as the Minister of Special Development Initiatives. She was appointed by President ...

(b. 1966), Ghanaian politician and educationist *

Mavis Le Marquand Mavis Le Marquand is a former international lawn bowler from Jersey. She won a silver medal in the pairs at the 1992 World Outdoor Bowls Championship in Ayr with Sheila Syvret. She also competed at the 1994 Commonwealth Games The 1994 Com ...

, Jersey lawn bowler * Mavis Leno (b. 1946), American feminist and wife of

Jay Leno James Douglas Muir Leno (; born April 28, 1950) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and actor. After doing stand-up comedy for years, he became the host of NBC's ''The Tonight Show'' from 1992 to 2009. Beginning in September 2009 ...

* Mavis Maclean, MBE, FRSA (b. 1943), socio-legal researcher at the University of Oxford and founder of the Oxford Centre for Family Law and Policy (OXFLAP) * Mavis Meadowcroft (1926–2008), Australian

lawn bowler Bowls, also known as lawn bowls or lawn bowling, is a sport in which the objective is to roll biased balls so that they stop close to a smaller ball called a "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a bowling green, which may be flat (for "flat-gre ...

* Mavis Moyo (b. 1929), Radio Zimbabwe broadcaster and founding member of the Federation of African Media Women Zimbabwe (FAMWZ) * Mavis Mullins, New Zealand businesswoman *

Mavis Nicholson Mavis Nicholson (née Mainwaring; 19 October 1930 – 8 September 2022) was a Welsh writer and radio and television broadcaster. She was born in Wales, and worked throughout the United Kingdom. Early life Nicholson was born on 19 October 1930 i ...

(b. 1930), Welsh broadcaster *

Mavis Ogun Mavis Ogun (born 24 August 1973) is a Nigerian footballer who played as a 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 World Cup and 1999 FIFA Women's Wo ...

(b. 1973), Nigerian footballer who played in three

FIFA Women's World Cup The FIFA Women's World Cup is an international association football competition contested by the senior women's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association ( FIFA), the sport's international governing bo ...

s *

Mavis Pugh Mavis Gladys Fox Pugh (25 June 1914 – 6 December 2006) was a British actress who made many appearances (typically playing upper-class women) in several sitcoms including ''Dad's Army'', ''Are You Being Served?'' and ''Fawlty Towers''. Her best ...

(1914–2006), English actress and comedian * Mavis Rivers (1929–1992), Samoan and New Zealand jazz singer *

Mavis Smitheman Ardwick is a district of Manchester in North West England, one mile south east of the city centre. The population of the Ardwick Ward at the 2011 census was 19,250. Historically in Lancashire, by the mid-nineteenth century Ardwick had grown from ...

, local body councillor for Ardwick, Manchester *

Mavis Staines Mavis Avril Staines (born April 9, 1954) is a Canadian ballet dancer and teacher. Staines grew up in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. In 1972, she graduated from Canada's National Ballet School. After becoming a first soloist with the National Ba ...

(b. 1954), Canadian ballet dancer *

Mavis Staples Mavis Staples (born July 10, 1939) is an American rhythm and blues and gospel singer, actress, and civil rights activist. She rose to fame as a member of her family's band The Staple Singers (she is the last surviving member of that band). Durin ...

(b. 1939), American rhythm and blues singer * Mavis Steele MBE (1928–1998), British

Mavis Sweeney Mavis Grace Sweeney (1909 – 23 July 1986) was an Australian hospital pharmacist who was awarded the Evans Medal for Merit in 1968. The Evans Medal of Merit recognised outstanding contributions to the profession of pharmacy. Early years Her g ...

(1909–1986), Australian hospital pharmacist who was awarded The Evans Medal for Merit in 1968 * Mavis Taillieu (b. 1952), Canadian politician * Mavis Tate (1893–1947), British Conservative Party politician and feminist, born Maybird Hogg * Mavis Taylor (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 Mavis Villiers (born Mavis Clare Cooney; 10 December 190923 February 1976) was an Australian-born British actress of stage, film and television. Her parents were John Cooney and Clara Smythe. Her brother, Cecil Cooney, was a camera operator an ...

(1911–1976), British actress * Mavis Wilson (

fl. ''Floruit'' (; abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for "they flourished") denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indicatin ...

1980–90s), Canadian politician

Fictional characters

* Mavis Anderson, secondary character and best friend to

Miss Ellie Ewing Eleanor "Miss Ellie" Ewing Farlow (maiden name Southworth) is a fictional character from the primetime CBS television series ''Dallas'', a long-running serial centered on the lives of the wealthy Ewing family of Dallas, Texas. Created by writer ...

(

Barbara Bel Geddes Barbara Bel Geddes (October 31, 1922 – August 8, 2005) was an American stage and screen actress, artist, and children's author whose career spanned almost five decades. She was best known for her starring role as Miss Ellie Ewing in the t ...

) in '' Dallas'' * Mavis Beacon, the eponymous African-American typing instructor of the Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing software * Mavis Bramston, from '' The Mavis Bramston Show'' (1964–1968), an Australian television satire * Mavis Buckey, an anthropomorphic animal character from the ''

Funny Farm Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental health hospitals, behavioral health hospitals, are hospitals or wards specializing in the treatment of severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, dissociati ...

'' series * Mavis Clare, a popular author who resists the temptation of the Devil in '' The Sorrows of Satan'' by Marie Corelli * Mavis Cruet, an obese young

fairy A fairy (also fay, fae, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Celtic, Slavic, Germanic, English, and French folklore), a form of spirit, ...

incapable of flight, from the British children's animated series '' Willo the Wisp'' * Mavis Davis, a pseudonymous singer in the British comedy '' Bring Me the Head of Mavis Davis'' * Mavis DeVere, one version of the actual name of

Bubbles DeVere This is a list of characters for the British television and radio sketch show ''Little Britain'' (and its American spin-off, ''Little Britain USA''). Overview ;Key : Characters that appear for only one sketch are not listed in the table A ...

, a character in the BBC comedy series ''

Little Britain Little Britain may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Little Britain'' (sketch show), a British radio and then TV show ** ''Little Britain USA'', an American spin-off * "Little Britain", a song by Dreadzone from the 1995 album '' Second Light'' ...

'' * Mavis Dracula, a 118-year-old vampire and the daughter of Count Dracula in the '' Hotel Transylvania'' movie franchise * Mavis Freestone, a singer in the ''... in Death'' series of detective novels * Mavis Gary, the main character of '' Young Adult'' * Mavis Madling, in the situation comedy series '' Designing Women'' * Mavis McCready, a recurring character in the television series '' Greenleaf'', portrayed by Oprah Winfrey * Mavis Ming, title character of Michael Moorcock's ''

The Transformation of Miss Mavis Ming ''The Dancers at the End of Time'' is a series of science fiction novels and short stories written by Michael Moorcock, the setting of which is the End of Time, an era "where entropy is king and the universe has begun collapsing upon itself". T ...

'', part of his ''

Dancers at the End of Time ''The Dancers at the End of Time'' is a series of science fiction novels and short stories written by Michael Moorcock, the setting of which is the End of Time, an era "where entropy is king and the universe has begun collapsing upon itself". T ...

'' series * Mavis Munro, office manager in the comic book series ''

Supernatural Law ''Supernatural Law'', previously known as ''Wolff and Byrd, Counselors of the Macabre'', is a comic strip, comic book and web comic series written and illustrated by Batton Lash. The series features the law practice of Alanna Wolff and Jeff Byrd ...

'' and ''Supernatural Law Secretary Mavis'' * Mavis, a minor character in The Addy Book Series from ''

American Girl American Girl is an American line of dolls released on May 5, 1986, by Pleasant Company. The dolls portray eight- to fourteen-year-old boys and girls of a variety of ethnicities, faiths, and social classes from different time periods throughou ...

'' * 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 ''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 for ...

, in the British situation comedy '' Dad's Army'' * 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'' * Mavis Wilton, in the British soap opera ''

Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' is an English soap opera created by Granada Television and shown on ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres around a cobbled, terraced street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based on inner-city Salford. Origi ...

'' * Dark Mavis, recurring character in English rock band Mansun's debut album '' Attack of the Grey Lantern'' *

Mavis (DC Comics) 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 ...

, two fictional characters who first appeared in the DC Comics universe * Mavis, from the BBC comedy '' Open All Hours'' * Mavis, a diesel locomotive character from '' The Railway Series'' books by the

Rev. W. Awdry Wilbert Vere Awdry (15 June 1911 – 21 March 1997) was an English Anglican minister, railway enthusiast, and children's author. He was best known for creating Thomas the Tank Engine. Thomas and several other characters he created appeared ...

and from the derived children's television series '' Thomas & Friends''

References

{{given name, cat=English feminine given names