Nevaeh is a feminine given name created by spelling the word ''

heaven Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the belie ...

'' backwards.

History and meaning

The name Nevaeh is the word ''heaven'' spelled backwards. An erroneous belief is that the name has an Irish origin, a variation of the name ''

Niamh Niamh (; from Old Irish ) is an Irish feminine given name (meaning "bright" or "radiant"), anglicised as Neve, Nieve, Neave, Neavh or Neeve. In Irish mythology, Niamh is the daughter of the god of the sea, Manannán mac Lir and one of the que ...

'', which is still common in Ireland today. Nevaeh was a rare given name before singer

Sonny Sandoval Paul Joshua "Sonny" Sandoval (born May 16, 1974) is an American singer, rapper, and songwriter. He is best known as co-founder and the lead vocalist of metal band P.O.D. Biography Sandoval was born in San Diego, California. to a Chamorro-Hawai ...

of the rock group

P.O.D. P.O.D., an initialism for Payable on Death, is an American Christian metal band formed in 1992 and based in San Diego, California. The band's line-up consists of drummer and rhythm guitarist Wuv Bernardo, vocalist Sonny Sandoval, bassist Traa ...

named his daughter Nevaeh in 2000. He was then featured in the fall of that year on the television program ''

MTV Cribs ''MTV Cribs'' (also known as ''Cribs'') is an American documentary television show that originated on MTV and features tours of the private homes of celebrities. It originally aired from 2000 to 2010. In 2017, MTV produced short-form episodes o ...

'', and use of the name became widespread. Nevaeh first entered the top 1000 names for girls born in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

in 2001 when its popularity shot up making it the 266th most common name, according to the US Social Security Administration.Social Security Administration
By 2010, it was the 25th most popular given name overall for all girls born in the United States in that year. It was the third most popular name for black girls born in New York City in 2010 and the third most popular name given to girls born in 2010 in New Mexico, the state where it is most popular; Nevaeh did not appear among the top 10 names in any other state in that year. In 2007 it was the top name among black girls born in Colorado. The name has since declined in popularity but remained among the top 100 most popular names for girls in the

in 2020. Though the name's use the first year or two of its popularity can probably be attributed to Sonny Sandoval's daughter, the further spread of Nevaeh's popularity since is in large part an

Internet phenomenon An Internet meme, commonly known simply as a meme ( ), is an idea, behavior, style, or image that is spread via the Internet, often through social media platforms. What is considered a meme may vary across different communities on the Internet ...

. The name is widely known and discussed on baby naming boards. It has acquired a meaning of "child from heaven". Variants of the name are also in use, reflecting different pronunciations in use. Among the variants in use in recent years for American girls are ''Naveah'', ''Navya'', ''Nava'', ''Navaeh'', ''Navaya'', ''Navayah'', ''Naveyah'', ''Navah'', ''Naviah'', ''Navea'', ''Naveya'', ''Naviyah'', ''Naviya'', ''Neveah'', ''Nevayah'', ''Nevaeha'', ''Neviah'', ''Neveyah'', and ''Nevae''. Variants have also been influenced by current fashionable sound patterns for American names. The name gained exposure on the

reality TV Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...

show '' Flavor of Love Girls: Charm School'', when contestant Heather strongly insisted on being referred to as Nevaeh, a name she had recently adopted to further her singing career. The other participants refused to indulge her in this, calling it ridiculous, and she was expelled in the second episode.

People

Nevaeh (wrestler) Beth Crist (née Vocke; born January 29, 1986) is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Nevaeh. She is best known for her time in Impact Wrestling as well as Women of Wrestling (WOW) under the name Hazard. Nevaeh also ...

, stage name of Beth Crist (born 1986), American wrestler *Nevaeh Sandoval, daughter of American singer, rapper, and songwriter

References

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External links

Baby Name Wizard Blog
Given names English feminine given names Heaven