Ava vs Erin
Ava and Erincompared 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 Erin #65 among girls in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2011, Ava was ranked #11 and Erin #81 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #11 and Erin #72 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #32 and Erin #25 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ava was ranked #26 and Erin #71 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2004, Ava was ranked #50 and Erin #96 among girls in New Zealand.
Ava and Erin over time
Ava and Erin appear together in 3 published lists, across 99 years of shared records. Ava held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Erin 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.
Erin 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 Erin in England and Wales · Girls — #38 and #27 the year before became #21 and #30.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 25 shared years in Northern Ireland · Girls, Ava and Erin averaged 50.8 places apart, ending at #32 and #25.
- Longest-running competitions
Ava and Erin were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 45 years, from 1978 to 2025, ending at #26 and #71.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Ava #1 in 2008, Erin #34 in 2006.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls45 shared years, 1978–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Erin in 18.
Highest recorded here: Ava #1 in 2008, Erin #34 in 2006.
The order changed in 1999: Ava moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #88 and #65; by 1999 that had become #60 and #79.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #26, Erin #71.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ava held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Erin in 12.
Highest recorded here: Ava #3 in 2018, Erin #27 in 2007.
The order changed in 2008: Ava moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #38 and #27; by 2008 that had become #21 and #30.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ava #9, Erin #65.
Northern Ireland · Girls25 shared years, 1998–2024
Ava held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Erin in 14.
Highest recorded here: Ava #9 in 2016, Erin #5 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ava #32, Erin #25.
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 | Erin |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Meaning debated — no single origin is established with confidence. | An Anglicized form of Éireann, the Irish name for Ireland itself. |
| Origin | Disputed — possibly Germanic, possibly a short form of Eve | Irish |
| Pronunciation | /ˈeɪvə/ | /ˈɛɹ.ɪn/ |
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #18 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #71 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| 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 Erin is recorded with a Irish origin.
- Ava and Erin both have 2 syllables.
- Ava's recorded meaning differs from Erin's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
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
Erin
Popularity journey
First recorded1975
First recorded at #89 among girls in New Zealand in 1975 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2009 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #71 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls