The baby name Avonlea comes from one of the most beloved fictional places of all time.
Thanks to Kaeli for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.
ANNE of GREEN GABLES
Avonlea is, of course, the setting for Anne of Green Gables, Lucy Maud Montgomery’s perpetually popular novel, as well as the sequels that followed.
The pronunciation is three syllables: ah von LEE.
Anne Shirley, the young orphan in the title, is a kindred spirit for any name fan. When she first arrives in her new home, she attempts to convince her new family to call her Cordelia. When they refuse, she tacks the “e” on to Ann. A recent television adaptation took the titlle Anne With an E.
Since the original novel’s 1908 publication, it has been translated into many languages, spawned sequels and stage and film adaptations, and sparked tourism on Prince Edward Island, the site that inspired so many of the fictional Avonlea locations.
There is a real village in Saskatchewan called Avonlea – but it was named after the books.
In the 1990s, a television series called Road to Avonlea was adapted from some of Montgomery’s other novels, the ones that started out with the arrival of Sara Stanley in Avonlea.
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
Known for its rugged, natural beauty, Prince Edward Island is one of Canada’s thirteen provinces. It sits in the Gulf of St. Lawrence,
It was also the birthplace of author Lucy Maud Montgomery. She drew inspiration from her home, including a real farm called Green Gables. The property was owned by relatives, and it’s now preserved as Green Gables Heritage Place.
While Avonlea might be imaginary, the tranquility of a small farming community and the appeal of the natural world are very real.
AVONLEA INSPIRATION
It’s clear where the author found the inspiration for her fictional community.
But how about the name Avonlea?
It’s not certain, but a few possibilities include:
- Avon is an old Welsh word meaning river, and it’s a common river name throughout the UK. It’s a cousin to Afton. (So River Avon means, loosely, “river river.”)
- Lea almost certainly comes from the Old English word leah, meaning woodland or clearing. It’s the source of the -ley ending in names like Ashley and so many many more.
- It’s also similar to Avalon, the name for paradise in Arthurian legend.
The most obvious interpretation is to combine the first two distinct elements and arrive at “clearing by the river.” Even though Avonlea is a name rich with charm, that’s a surprisingly generic – and flexible – meaning.
BY the NUMBERS
Few cultural influences are as enduring as Anne of Green Gables. The books have been widely read for over a century.
And yet, at least in the US, it wasn’t until the 1990 television series based on the books debuted that parents started to choose Avonlea as a first name.
The name peaked in 2017, the same year Anne With an E debuted internationally. 95 newborn girls were named Avonlea.
While it’s fallen in recent years, 64 girls received the name in 2022.
In many ways, Avonlea blends multiple characteristics: it’s a place name borrowed from fiction, which makes it quite bold and modern. But the stories themselves are from a simpler time, a mix of nostalgia and classic literary appeal. It’s a different name, to be sure, but it’s one that suggests a sort of old-fashioned sensibility.
BELOVED LITERARY GEM
In many ways, the baby name Avonlea fits with popular names right now. We love girl names like Evelyn and Everly. Potential nicknames, including Ava and Lea, are current favorites, too.
Choosing the name clearly marks the parents as fans of Anne, in a way that Anne, Lucy, or even Cordelia wouldn’t achieve. It’s a bolder choice, one that makes clear a connection to the fictional world.
And yet, there’s a simple beauty to Avonlea. It’s not nearly as novel as Khaleesi or Mazikeen. Yes, it’s a borrowing from fiction, but it’s a classic work with years of history behind it, and solid real-world inspiration.
If you love the stories, and hope to blend the unexpected with the more traditional, Avonlea is the rare choice that hits the mark.
What do you think of the baby name Avonlea?
First published on May 15, 2013, this post was revised and re-published on November 14, 2023.
Personally, I love this name. My 5 year old daughter is Avonleigh (pronounced the same as Avonlea). I spelled hers different, because though I love Anne of Green Gables, I didn’t name her for the story. She is complemented on her name almost daily!
I have to admit I love most of the names from Anne of Green Gables. Anne to Gilbert, Rilla and Diana. Love all of them. Even Josie as the mean girl has a name that could be popular. I even have a secret love of Maud (with or without the e; I can never decide).
Another lovely place name out of L.M. Montgomery’s books is the town of Carmody. (Do you remember when Gilbert gave up the Avonlea school for Anne and took the job at Carmody?) I could see that working as a given name as well.
The TLC Show “What Not to Wear” – not sure if it is still on – featured a make-up artist named Carmindy. Not sure where her name came from, but I always liked it. So yes, Carmody could work.
My daughter is Avonlea Carmen
I too pronounced the name as ‘ah von LEE ah’ for a long time.
And I would agree that Anne is a more appealing name than Avonlea. I know Anne is ‘dated’ but I’ve always liked it and the Anne of Green Gables association is one of the reasons for that.
I like Anne better than Avonlea. I also think Lea could be a pretty alternative for Leah. Rilla is pretty, too! I know it’s a nickname for Marilla, but I wonder if it could be a nickname for something else, too. Lorelai, maybe? April… Amarilis….Averil/Avery… Carol…Carolyn… Marilyn… Priscilla… guess there are a lot of potential Rillas out there! 🙂
I’ve heard Rilla for Priscilla, too – kind of love it!
Oooh, Rilla for Priscilla… I love that too! My grandmother was Priscilla, so that would be a sweet way to honor her. My grandfather always called her Cilla 🙂
My friend was considering this one! She liked Avalee (pronounced Ahva not eh-va), but knew one personally and thought it muddled her feelings for it a bit. Avonlea was her compromise. Personally I greatly prefer it to the smushed sounding Avalee. I don’t know if it’s high on her list or anything, but it does have some serious potential in my opinion.
I loved the attention that L.M. Montgomery gave to the names and places in her books. (Now that I thinking about it, I kind of regret that we didn’t used Marilla for my daughter.) :\ Back on subject, the next town over is called Avon… so I’m not sure that Avonlea would work for us, but I think it’s adorable.
It seems like names with the -von- sound is really popular with boys names: Giovani, Devonte, Jayvon, but with the connection to Anne and -ea ending Avonlea feels completely feminine. If the name was spelled Avonly or Avonley instead, I wonder if we’d be considering it masculine?
Thank you, Abby! This name is so beautiful and always gives me a calming and peaceful vibe – I didn’t realize until you wrote this what the meaning is, but that explains the peaceful sound!
I still remember the moment it dawned on me that Avonlea could be a name. I was a brand new newlywed, at home putting laundry away with the TV on. There was a commercial about something to do with Anne – Road to Avonlea, I think – and I heard the regal voice of the announcer say “Anne of Avonlea” while a beautiful cursive script flashed across the screen…..and it just hit me. Avonlea! What a beautiful name! It feels like it’s meant to be. 🙂
The funny thing is, I saw on Facebook that a friend of one of my friends has a daughter named Avonlea! I was so shocked. I’ve never known of anyone with this name, and just outside of my circle of friends there is a baby Avonlea!
I know a baby Avalon. I love it!
I like this name. It does fit with the trend of Ava and V names, but it’s such a beautiful tribute to the Anne books. Anne is a great role model for girls. Love it!