Ava vs Caoimhe
Ava and Caoimhecompared 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, Ava was ranked #9 and Caoimhe #1302 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #11 and Caoimhe #275 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ava was ranked #26 and Caoimhe #31 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #32 and Caoimhe #70 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Ava and Caoimhe over time
Ava and Caoimhe appear together in 3 published lists, across 99 years of shared records. Ava held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Caoimhe in 1.
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.
Caoimhe 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 2008, Ava moved ahead of Caoimhe in Northern Ireland · Girls — #46 and #31 the year before became #24 and #31.
- Longest-running competitions
Ava and Caoimhe were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 45 years, from 1978 to 2025, ending at #26 and #31.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls45 shared years, 1978–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Caoimhe in 25.
Highest recorded here: Ava #1 in 2008, Caoimhe #12 in 2003.
The order changed in 2006: Ava moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #18 and #17; by 2006 that had become #6 and #15.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #26, Caoimhe #31.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ava held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Caoimhe in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ava #3 in 2018, Caoimhe #639 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ava #9, Caoimhe #1302.
Northern Ireland · Girls25 shared years, 1998–2024
Ava held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Caoimhe in 8.
Highest recorded here: Ava #9 in 2016, Caoimhe #25 in 2003.
The order changed in 2008: Ava moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #46 and #31; by 2008 that had become #24 and #31.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ava #32, Caoimhe #70.
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 | Ava | Caoimhe |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Meaning debated — no single origin is established with confidence. | Commonly interpreted as 'dear', 'beloved', or 'gentle', from the Irish word caomh. |
| Origin | Disputed — possibly Germanic, possibly a short form of Eve | Irish |
| Pronunciation | /ˈeɪvə/ | /ˈkiːvʲə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #18 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #31 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ava is recorded with a Disputed — possibly Germanic, possibly a short form of Eve origin, while Caoimhe is recorded with a Irish origin.
- Ava and Caoimhe both have 2 syllables.
- Ava's recorded meaning differs from Caoimhe's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
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
Caoimhe
Popularity journey
First recorded1966
First recorded at #380 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1966 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1966–2025
Highest recorded position: #12 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2003 (recorded 1966–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #31 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls