Ivys

[ahy-vee] /ˈaɪ vi/

noun
1.
a female given name.
/ˈaɪvɪ/
noun (pl) ivies
1.
any woody climbing or trailing araliaceous plant of the Old World genus Hedera, esp H. helix, having lobed evergreen leaves and black berry-like fruits
2.
any of various other climbing or creeping plants, such as Boston ivy, poison ivy, and ground ivy
n.

Old English ifig, from West Germanic *ibakhs (cf. Middle Low German iflof, Dutch eiloof, Old High German ebahewi, German Efeu), of unknown origin; the second element in the Old High German word might be “hay.”

Ivy bush as a sign of a tavern where wine is served is attested from mid-15c. Ivy League, inspired by the notion of old, ivy-coated walls, dates to 1933 (perhaps originally in reference to football; it consists of Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Pennsylvania, Princeton, and Yale).