Ava vs Hazel
Ava and Hazelcompared 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 South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Ava was ranked #18 and Hazel #8 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Ava was ranked #8 and Hazel #10 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #9 and Hazel #75 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #11 and Hazel #97 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ava was ranked #26 and Hazel #55 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #32 and Hazel #169 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Ava and Hazel over time
Ava and Hazel appear together in 5 published lists, across 111 years of shared records. Ava held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Hazel 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 5 of those lists, and Hazel 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, Hazel moved ahead of Ava in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #6 and #15 the year before became #14 and #8.
- Longest-running competitions
Ava and Hazel were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 45 years, from 1978 to 2025, ending at #26 and #55.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls45 shared years, 1978–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Hazel in 17.
Highest recorded here: Ava #1 in 2008, Hazel #44 in 2024.
The order changed in 1998: Ava moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #213 and #78; by 1998 that had become #88 and #124.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #26, Hazel #55.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ava held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Hazel in 4.
Highest recorded here: Ava #3 in 2018, Hazel #75 in 2024.
The order changed in 2000: Ava moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #429 and #370; by 2000 that had become #291 and #349.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ava #9, Hazel #75.
New Zealand · Girls16 shared years, 2008–2023
Ava held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Hazel in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ava #5 in 2017, Hazel #10 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ava #8, Hazel #10.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls12 shared years, 2014–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Hazel in 2.
Highest recorded here: Ava #3 in 2017, Hazel #8 in 2024.
The order changed in 2024: Hazel moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #6 and #15; by 2024 that had become #14 and #8.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #18, Hazel #8.
Northern Ireland · Girls9 shared years, 2008–2024
Ava held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Hazel in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ava #10 in 2015, Hazel #169 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ava #32, Hazel #169.
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 | Hazel |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Meaning debated — no single origin is established with confidence. | From the English word for the hazel tree, or the light brown colour associated with it, ultimately from Old English 'hæsel'. Created as a given name in the 19th century. |
| Origin | Disputed — possibly Germanic, possibly a short form of Eve | English (nature name) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈeɪvə/ | /ˈheɪ.zəl/ |
| 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) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #8 (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 | medium |
What the data shows
- Ava is recorded with a Disputed — possibly Germanic, possibly a short form of Eve origin, while Hazel is recorded with a English (nature name) origin.
- Ava and Hazel both have 2 syllables.
- Ava's recorded meaning differs from Hazel'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
Hazel
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #154 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 recorded2014–2025
Highest recorded position: #8 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2024 (recorded 2014–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #8 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls