Derived from the Germanic element avi, of unknown meaning, possibly "desired". This name is also given in honour of the 16th-century mystic Saint Teresa of Ávila, Ávila being the name of the town in Spain where she was born. Avila originates in Germanic languages and most likely means "longed for". It is the name of a Spanish city in the Castile and Leon province and is famous for being one of the cities with the most churches in the world. Avila functions as a surname as well, as a feminine given name it is rather rare in the United States.
