Haven

How to say it

/ˈheɪ.vən/

What it means

Middle English haven, 'harbor, port of safety.' Cognate with the Dutch and German Hafen. Used in modern English as a virtue name meaning 'refuge' or 'safe place.'

Haven comes from the Middle English haven, meaning 'harbor' or 'port of safety,' cognate with the Dutch and German Hafen. The word entered English from Old Norse höfn through Anglo-Saxon. The literal meaning of a sheltered harbor expanded by the 17th century to mean any 'refuge' or 'safe place.' As a given name Haven is modern and American. Jessica Alba named her daughter Haven (born 2011), giving the name celebrity-baby momentum. The Syfy show Haven (2010-2015), based on a Stephen King novella, used the name as a town. As a unisex first name Haven entered the US top 300 in 2018, leaning slightly feminine. Single short forms aren't common.

Heads-up notes

• Pop culture

  Jessica Alba's daughter Haven (born 2011) is a small celebrity-baby anchor; otherwise the name reads as a modern English virtue-name pick.

Who's worn it

Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.

• Haven Garner Warren Jessica Alba's daughter, born 2011

Spelling variants

• Havyn
• Havynne

Names with the same feeling

• Hadley Heather meadow
• Harper Harp player
• Sage Wise one, the herb
• Wren Wren bird
• Willow Willow tree

See Haven from another angle