Iva

Iva is a South and West Slavic feminine name with two distinct origins. In Bulgarian, Croatian, and Serbian traditions it derives from the Slavic word for the willow tree, evoking the plant's graceful, flexible branches. In Czech and Slovak usage it also functions as a short form of Ivana, itself the feminine form of Ivan, which traces back through Greek Ioannes to the Hebrew Yohanan, meaning God is gracious. Related names include Ivana, Ivan, and the wider family of Johannes-derived forms across European languages.