Ava vs Elsie

Ava and Elsiecompared 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.

New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Ava was ranked #8 and Elsie #74 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #9 and Elsie #10 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #11 and Elsie #31 among girls in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Ava was ranked #18 and Elsie #24 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ava was ranked #26 and Elsie #55 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #32 and Elsie #27 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Ava was ranked #143 and Elsie #371 among girls in Norway.

Ava and Elsie over time

Ava and Elsie appear together in 5 published lists, across 90 years of shared records. Ava held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Elsie 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.

Ava reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Elsie 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 2024, Elsie moved ahead of Ava in Northern Ireland · Girls — #19 and #28 the year before became #32 and #27.

List by list

England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ava held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Elsie in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ava #3 in 2018, Elsie #10 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ava #9, Elsie #10.
Republic of Ireland · Girls23 shared years, 1999–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Elsie in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ava #1 in 2008, Elsie #55 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #26, Elsie #55.
Northern Ireland · Girls17 shared years, 2007–2024
Ava held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Elsie in 1.
Highest recorded here: Ava #9 in 2016, Elsie #27 in 2024.
The order changed in 2024: Elsie moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #19 and #28; by 2024 that had become #32 and #27.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ava #32, Elsie #27.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls13 shared years, 2013–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Elsie in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ava #3 in 2017, Elsie #24 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #18, Elsie #24.
New Zealand · Girls8 shared years, 2015–2023
Ava held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Elsie in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ava #5 in 2021, Elsie #53 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ava #8, Elsie #74.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Ava

Pairs where Ava shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Ella vs Ava
Ella and Ava changed places 15 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1981 and 2025, ending at #17 and #26.
Ella · Ava · 43 shared years, 1981–2025 · Repeatedly exchanged positions
See the 2025 Republic of Ireland ranking
Ava vs Zara
Ava and Zara both rose over the same years in 5 registrars — England and Wales · Girls; New South Wales, Australia · Girls; New Zealand · Girls; Northern Ireland · Girls; Republic of Ireland · Girls. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Ava · Zara · 45 shared years, 1978–2025 · Moved together in several countries
Ava vs Daisy
Ava and Daisy both rose over the same years in 4 registrars — England and Wales · Girls; New Zealand · Girls; Northern Ireland · Girls; Republic of Ireland · Girls. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Ava · Daisy · 36 shared years, 1985–2025 · Moved together in several countries
Ava vs Layla
Ava and Layla both rose over the same years in 4 registrars — England and Wales · Girls; New South Wales, Australia · Girls; Northern Ireland · Girls; Republic of Ireland · Girls. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Ava · Layla · 35 shared years, 1983–2025 · Moved together in several countries

Other comparisons involving Elsie

Pairs where Elsie shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Elsie vs Aria
Elsie and Aria both rose over the same years in 4 registrars — England and Wales · Girls; New South Wales, Australia · Girls; Northern Ireland · Girls; Republic of Ireland · Girls. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Elsie · Aria · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Moved together in several countries
Harper vs Elsie
Harper and Elsie both rose over the same years in 4 registrars — England and Wales · Girls; New South Wales, Australia · Girls; Northern Ireland · Girls; Republic of Ireland · Girls. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Harper · Elsie · 24 shared years, 2001–2025 · Moved together in several countries
Mila vs Elsie
Mila and Elsie both rose over the same years in 4 registrars — England and Wales · Girls; New South Wales, Australia · Girls; Northern Ireland · Girls; Republic of Ireland · Girls. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Mila · Elsie · 30 shared years, 1996–2025 · Moved together in several countries
Sophia vs Elsie
Sophia and Elsie both rose over the same years in 4 registrars — England and Wales · Girls; New South Wales, Australia · Girls; Northern Ireland · Girls; Republic of Ireland · Girls. Each list is measured against its own starting position; the positions are never combined.
Sophia · Elsie · 31 shared years, 1973–2025 · Moved together in several countries

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Ava, Elsie
Field	Ava	Elsie
Record type	Editorially researched profile	Editorially researched profile
Gender usage	female	female
Meaning	Meaning debated — no single origin is established with confidence.	Shares the root meaning of Elizabeth: 'my God is an oath', inherited via the Scots form Elspeth.
Origin	Disputed — possibly Germanic, possibly a short form of Eve	Scottish, via Elizabeth
Pronunciation	/ˈeɪvə/	/ˈɛlsi/
Syllables	2	2
Common variants / nicknames	Not yet recorded	Elspeth
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	New South Wales, Australia · Girls #18 (2025)	New South Wales, Australia · Girls #24 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	90/100	90/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	95/100	94/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	100/100	100/100
Data Confidence	medium	high

What the data shows

Ava is recorded with a Disputed — possibly Germanic, possibly a short form of Eve origin, while Elsie is recorded with a Scottish, via Elizabeth origin.
Ava and Elsie both have 2 syllables.
Ava's recorded meaning differs from Elsie'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 Ava a "medium" Data Confidence level and Elsie a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.

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

Elsie

Popularity journey

First recorded1945
First recorded at #301 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #10 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #24 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls