Amelia vs Ava
Amelia 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, Amelia was ranked #2 and Ava #9 among girls in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Amelia was ranked #2 and Ava #18 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Amelia was ranked #2 and Ava #8 among girls in New Zealand.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Amelia was ranked #7 and Ava #11 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Amelia was ranked #12 and Ava #26 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Amelia was ranked #14 and Ava #32 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Amelia was ranked #39 and Ava #143 among girls in Norway.
Amelia and Ava over time
Amelia and Ava appear together in 7 published lists, across 188 years of shared records. Amelia held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Ava in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 3 of the lists they share.
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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Amelia and Ava changed places 4 times in New South Wales, Australia · Girls between 2003 and 2025, ending at #2 and #18.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 23 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Amelia and Ava averaged 8.0 places apart, ending at #2 and #18.
- Longest-running competitions
Amelia and Ava were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 37 years, from 1996 to 2024, ending at #2 and #9.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Girls within 2 years — Amelia #1 in 2019, Ava #5 in 2017.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls43 shared years, 1978–2025
Amelia held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Ava in 25.
Highest recorded here: Amelia #3 in 2017, Ava #1 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Amelia #12, Ava #26.
England and Wales · Girls37 shared years, 1996–2024
Amelia held the stronger position in 37 of those years, Ava in 0.
Highest recorded here: Amelia #1 in 2011, Ava #3 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Amelia #2, Ava #9.
Norway · Girls26 shared years, 1999–2025
Amelia held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Ava in 0.
Highest recorded here: Amelia #32 in 2019, Ava #104 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Amelia #39, Ava #143.
Northern Ireland · Girls24 shared years, 2001–2024
Amelia held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Ava in 10.
Highest recorded here: Amelia #4 in 2012, Ava #9 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Amelia #14, Ava #32.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls23 shared years, 2003–2025
Amelia held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Ava in 3.
Highest recorded here: Amelia #1 in 2020, Ava #3 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Amelia #2, Ava #18.
New Zealand · Girls21 shared years, 2003–2023
Amelia held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Ava in 3.
Highest recorded here: Amelia #1 in 2019, Ava #5 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Amelia #2, Ava #8.
Scotland · Girls14 shared years, 2024–2024
Amelia held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Ava in 0.
Highest recorded here: Amelia #7 in 2024, Ava #11 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Amelia #7, Ava #11.
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 | Amelia | Ava |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'work' or 'industrious', with usage strongly influenced by the separate Roman name Aemilia. | Meaning debated — no single origin is established with confidence. |
| Origin | Latin (influence) | Disputed — possibly Germanic, possibly a short form of Eve |
| Pronunciation | /əˈmiːliə/ | /ˈeɪvə/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Amelie, Amalia, Amy, Mia | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | United Kingdom #1 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #18 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Amelia is recorded with a Latin (influence) origin, while Ava is recorded with a Disputed — possibly Germanic, possibly a short form of Eve origin.
- Amelia has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Ava.
- Amelia's recorded meaning differs from Ava's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Amelia a "high" Data Confidence level and Ava a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Amelia
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #300 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2011 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · 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