Alannah vs Ava
Alannah and Avacompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Alannah was ranked #934 and Ava #9 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Alannah was ranked #790 and Ava #11 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Alannah was ranked #103 and Ava #26 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Alannah was ranked #227 and Ava #32 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Alannah and Ava over time
Alannah and Ava appear together in 3 published lists, across 95 years of shared records. Ava held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Alannah in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Alannah reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Ava in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2005, Ava moved ahead of Alannah in Northern Ireland · Girls — #139 and #151 the year before became #159 and #66.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Alannah and Ava changed places 6 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1983 and 2025, ending at #103 and #26.
- Mirrored each other
Over 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Ava rose about as far as Alannah fell — from #388 and #753 in 1996 to #934 and #9 in 2024.
- Longest-running competitions
Alannah and Ava were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 41 years, from 1983 to 2025, ending at #103 and #26.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls41 shared years, 1983–2025
Alannah held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Ava in 29.
Highest recorded here: Alannah #49 in 2003, Ava #1 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Alannah #103, Ava #26.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alannah held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Ava in 26.
Highest recorded here: Alannah #357 in 1997, Ava #3 in 2018.
The order changed in 1999: Ava moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #418 and #530; by 1999 that had become #436 and #429.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alannah #934, Ava #9.
Northern Ireland · Girls25 shared years, 1998–2024
Alannah held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Ava in 21.
Highest recorded here: Alannah #131 in 2008, Ava #9 in 2016.
The order changed in 2005: Ava moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #139 and #151; by 2005 that had become #159 and #66.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alannah #227, Ava #32.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Alannah | Ava |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Meaning debated — no single origin is established with confidence. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Disputed — possibly Germanic, possibly a short form of Eve |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈeɪvə/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #103 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #18 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ava has a recorded origin (Disputed — possibly Germanic, possibly a short form of Eve); Alannah does not have one recorded yet.
- Alannah has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Ava.
- A meaning is recorded for Ava; Alannah doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Alannah
Popularity journey
First recorded1983
First recorded at #529 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1983 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1983–2025
Highest recorded position: #49 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2003 (recorded 1983–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #103 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Ava
Popularity journey
First recorded1978
First recorded at #522 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1978 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1978–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2008 (recorded 1978–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #18 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls