Ava vs Evelyn
Ava and Evelyncompared 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 Evelyn #12 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Ava was ranked #11 and Evelyn #12 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #11 and Evelyn #120 among girls in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Ava was ranked #18 and Evelyn #13 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ava was ranked #26 and Evelyn #94 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #32 and Evelyn #75 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Ava was ranked #143 and Evelyn #153 among girls in Norway.
Ava and Evelyn over time
Ava and Evelyn appear together in 6 published lists, across 149 years of shared records. Ava held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Evelyn in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 3 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 6 of those lists, and Evelyn 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, Evelyn moved ahead of Ava in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #6 and #8 the year before became #14 and #10.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Ava and Evelyn averaged 52.7 places apart, ending at #11 and #12.
- Longest-running competitions
Ava and Evelyn were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #11 and #12.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Girls within 2 years — Ava #104 in 2020, Evelyn #149 in 2022.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls45 shared years, 1978–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Evelyn in 16.
Highest recorded here: Ava #1 in 2008, Evelyn #76 in 2022.
The order changed in 1997: Ava moved ahead. In 1996 they stood at #393 and #212; by 1997 that had become #213 and #219.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #26, Evelyn #94.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Evelyn in 4.
Highest recorded here: Ava #3 in 2018, Evelyn #12 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #11, Evelyn #12.
Norway · Girls26 shared years, 1999–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Evelyn in 5.
Highest recorded here: Ava #104 in 2020, Evelyn #149 in 2022.
The order changed in 2006: Ava moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #449 and #311; by 2006 that had become #298 and #388.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #143, Evelyn #153.
Northern Ireland · Girls20 shared years, 2003–2024
Ava held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Evelyn in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ava #9 in 2016, Evelyn #75 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ava #32, Evelyn #75.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls15 shared years, 2011–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Evelyn in 2.
Highest recorded here: Ava #3 in 2017, Evelyn #8 in 2023.
The order changed in 2024: Evelyn moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #6 and #8; by 2024 that had become #14 and #10.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #18, Evelyn #13.
New Zealand · Girls13 shared years, 2011–2023
Ava held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Evelyn in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ava #5 in 2017, Evelyn #12 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ava #8, Evelyn #12.
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 | Evelyn |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Meaning debated — no single origin is established with confidence. | From an English surname derived from the given name Aveline. Originally more common for boys in the 17th century, now used almost entirely as a feminine name. |
| Origin | Disputed — possibly Germanic, possibly a short form of Eve | English (surname origin) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈeɪvə/ | /ˈɛv.ə.lɪn/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| 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, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #11 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #12 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| 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 is recorded with a Disputed — possibly Germanic, possibly a short form of Eve origin, while Evelyn is recorded with a English (surname origin) origin.
- Ava has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Evelyn.
- Ava's recorded meaning differs from Evelyn's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, 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 #11 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Evelyn
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #121 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded2011–2025
Highest recorded position: #8 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2023 (recorded 2011–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #12 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls