Ava vs Cliona
Ava and Clionacompared 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 2023, Ava was ranked #6 and Cliona #4056 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Ava was ranked #15 and Cliona #856 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Ava was ranked #19 and Cliona #391 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Ava and Cliona over time
Ava and Cliona appear together in 3 published lists, across 81 years of shared records. Ava held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Cliona 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.
Cliona 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 2003, Ava moved ahead of Cliona in Northern Ireland · Girls — #227 and #128 the year before became #114 and #248.
- Mirrored each other
Over 22 shared years in Northern Ireland · Girls, Ava rose about as far as Cliona fell — from #351 and #164 in 1998 to #19 and #391 in 2023.
- Longest-running competitions
Ava and Cliona were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 41 years, from 1978 to 2023, ending at #15 and #856.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls41 shared years, 1978–2023
Ava held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Cliona in 18.
Highest recorded here: Ava #1 in 2008, Cliona #83 in 1998.
The order changed in 1999: Ava moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #88 and #83; by 1999 that had become #60 and #130.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ava #15, Cliona #856.
Northern Ireland · Girls22 shared years, 1998–2023
Ava held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Cliona in 3.
Highest recorded here: Ava #9 in 2016, Cliona #106 in 2001.
The order changed in 2003: Ava moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #227 and #128; by 2003 that had become #114 and #248.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ava #19, Cliona #391.
England and Wales · Girls18 shared years, 1996–2023
Ava held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Cliona in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ava #4 in 2017, Cliona #1372 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ava #6, Cliona #4056.
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 | Cliona |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Meaning debated — no single origin is established with confidence. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Disputed — possibly Germanic, possibly a short form of Eve | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈeɪvə/ | Not yet recorded |
| 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, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #18 (2025) | Northern Ireland · Girls #391 (2023) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| 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); Cliona does not have one recorded yet.
- Ava and Cliona both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ava; Cliona doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, 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
Cliona
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #226 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 recorded1964–2023
Highest recorded position: #83 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1998 (recorded 1964–2023).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #4056 among girls in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Girls