See the results of this poll: Do you like the name Avis
Respondents: 15 (This poll is closed)
- yes : 9 (60%)
- no: 6 (40%)
[name]Hi[/name]! I’m voting “Maybe, leaning heavily towards yes” because I’m torn. I think it’s a beautiful name (I love the sound), but at the same time, because I’ve never met anyone with the name, my first (and only) association with [name]Avis[/name] is [name]Avis[/name] Car Rental. It’s not a bad association, but it’s just so automatic for me.
I know that if I met a little [name]Avis[/name], I’d easily be able to lose the car association, though. I do think that [name]Avis[/name] a great name–sweet and elegant at the same time. I’d really love to meet a little [name]Avis[/name]. (The more I’m thinking about it, the more I like it…I’m voting “Yes.”)
I also love [name]Aveline[/name] and [name]Maeve[/name], and [name]Mavis[/name] has been growing on me lately. Oh! To answer your quesitons, even though it’s similar to [name]Ava[/name], I really can’t see [name]Avis[/name] catching on soon, and I don’t think it’s too old-sounding.
Take care! 
I do think of the car association, but since I know a very cool old lady named [name]Avis[/name], I also think of her. She has a tattoo! And she’s funny and creative. I haven’t seen her in a long time though.
Thanks for your reply. Yes, I know about the car rental company, but since they’re not my first association, I don’t care so much about that. I have a similar thing with [name]Mavis[/name]. You see, there’s this typing program called “[name]Mavis[/name] [name]Beacon[/name] Teaches Typing”, and that’s the only thing I can think about when I here the name. It is pretty, though.
Best,
[name]Christy[/name]
In my freshman year of college, [name]Avis[/name] was the first name of my roommate’s mom. So, that is the first thing I think of when I hear this being considered as a name. I don’t think I had ever heard it before and thought it was really interesting.
Although [name]Avis[/name] is well-known as a car rental company, I don’t really think of it. It’s thankfully not the one with the catch phrase, “we’ll pick you up,” or I’d discourage the use of [name]Avis[/name] for a girl’s name. It might get a lot of looks because other adults might say “like the car rental company?” but her peers probably won’t when they’re very young because it has no catch phrase to stick in their brains. I think it works well on a person and then those people will associate the word [name]Avis[/name] with a person, like I do.
Like you, I am in favor of and in search of that ideal clean name, short and pretty but not boring. I can imagine calling a young [name]Avis[/name] to come in from riding her bike and wash for dinner, or introducing herself on the phone to ask if they have considered her resume yet. Sounds like a very confident name. I think while related to [name]Ava[/name], it would be like the difference between an [name]Emily[/name] and an [name]Emma[/name] - close but not the same imagery.
- is names: Names people say they aren’t ready for, like [name]Doris[/name], [name]Phyllis[/name], and [name]Dolores[/name] - a name like [name]Avis[/name] could bridge that. People are considering [name]Agnes[/name] already but a little timid to do so. [name]Agnes[/name] might seem “older,” but I can’t pin a definitive age group to [name]Avis[/name]. The only one I’ve ever heard of is in her 60s or close to it by now. I don’t think too many people have an [name]Avis[/name] in their lives to think that it reminds them of anyone of a particular age. Associating it with a person who just isn’t really young or really old tends to make a name not ready, but it wasn’t popular enough to be disqualified in this way. [name]Mavis[/name] seems altogether different to me - I think I just don’t like the M getting in the way, but [name]Maeve[/name] is popular, around here at least, so I think that’s a matter of time as well. We get used to things and then we think they are so beautiful. I feel very much there’s nothing wrong with -is name, so [name]Avis[/name] does come out like an example of an ideal name that you were seeking, and a way to introduce the willingness of people to consider the other -is names.
I really like the idea of [name]Avis[/name] as a middle name. It has just the right brisk quality to balance something more sumptuous. [name]Do[/name] you like . . .
[name]Elinor[/name] [name]Avis[/name]
[name]Avis[/name] [name]Caroline[/name]
Oh my gosh, I totally love [name]Elinor[/name] [name]Avis[/name]! Seriously, I think it’s amazing! 
Wow!
I love [name]Caroline[/name] so much, but when I say [name]Avis[/name] [name]Caroline[/name] out loud, the S sound attaches to the C in [name]Caroline[/name], and I hear Avih Scare-oh-line. (It may just be me, though…)
Here’s one vote for [name]Elinor[/name] [name]Avis[/name]! [name]Love[/name], love love!
Good luck!
Oh my gosh, I totally love [name]Elinor[/name] [name]Avis[/name]! Seriously, I think it’s amazing! Wow!
I love [name]Caroline[/name] so much, but when I say [name]Avis[/name] [name]Caroline[/name] out loud, the S sound attaches to the C in [name]Caroline[/name], and I hear Avih Scare-oh-line. (It may just be me, though…)
Here’s one vote for [name]Elinor[/name] [name]Avis[/name]! [name]Love[/name], love love!
Good luck! :-)[/quote]
I’ve also been thinking, and I like [name]Caroline[/name] [name]Avis[/name] more than [name]Avis[/name] [name]Caroline[/name]. Thanks for commenting!
My association with the name is a character in a series of books called ‘The [name]Yada[/name] [name]Yada[/name] Prayer Group’. [name]Avis[/name] is a good friend (and boss) of the main character. She appears in 7 books and the spin-off series. She’s a positive character, so that is a good association for me.