Alva vs Selene
Alva and Selenecompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 1978, Alva was ranked #469 and Selene #428 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Alva was ranked #2115 and Selene #1262 among girls in England and Wales.
Alva and Selene over time
Alva and Selene appear together in 1 published list, across 16 years of shared records. Selene held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Alva in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Alva reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Selene 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls16 shared years, 1997–2024
Alva held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Selene in 9.
Highest recorded here: Alva #1711 in 2018, Selene #1262 in 2024.
The order changed in 2019: Selene moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #1711 and #1788; by 2019 that had become #2458 and #2040.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alva #2115, Selene #1262.
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 | Alva | Selene |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO | GB-ENW, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #84 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #1262 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alva has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Selene.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Alva
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #443 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1993–2025
Highest recorded position: #47 among girls in Norway, in 2010 (recorded 1993–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #84 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Selene
Popularity journey
First recorded1977
First recorded at #518 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1977 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1977–1979
Highest recorded position: #428 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1978 (recorded 1977–1979).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1262 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls