Ava vs Jessica
Ava and Jessicacompared 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 2017, Ava was ranked #3 and Jessica #96 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2019, Ava was ranked #10 and Jessica #85 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Ava was ranked #11 and Jessica #139 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #11 and Jessica #48 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ava was ranked #26 and Jessica #141 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #32 and Jessica #127 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Ava was ranked #143 and Jessica #474 among girls in Norway.
Ava and Jessica over time
Ava and Jessica appear together in 6 published lists, across 156 years of shared records. Jessica held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Ava in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 6 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Jessica reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 6 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 2013, Ava moved ahead of Jessica in England and Wales · Girls — #6 and #3 the year before became #4 and #6.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 25 shared years in Northern Ireland · Girls, Ava and Jessica averaged 59.6 places apart, ending at #32 and #127.
- Mirrored each other
Over 24 shared years in Norway · Girls, Ava rose about as far as Jessica fell — from #603 and #280 in 1999 to #143 and #474 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Ava and Jessica were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #11 and #139.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls45 shared years, 1978–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Jessica in 23.
Highest recorded here: Ava #1 in 2008, Jessica #12 in 1995.
The order changed in 2004: Ava moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #24 and #19; by 2004 that had become #18 and #23.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #26, Jessica #141.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Jessica in 17.
Highest recorded here: Ava #3 in 2018, Jessica #1 in 2005.
The order changed in 2013: Ava moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #6 and #3; by 2013 that had become #4 and #6.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #11, Jessica #139.
Northern Ireland · Girls25 shared years, 1998–2024
Ava held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Jessica in 15.
Highest recorded here: Ava #9 in 2016, Jessica #4 in 2008.
The order changed in 2015: Ava moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #16 and #14; by 2015 that had become #10 and #11.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ava #32, Jessica #127.
Norway · Girls24 shared years, 1999–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Jessica in 12.
Highest recorded here: Ava #105 in 2023, Jessica #143 in 2010.
The order changed in 2013: Ava moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #195 and #178; by 2013 that had become #174 and #249.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #143, Jessica #474.
New Zealand · Girls17 shared years, 2003–2019
Ava held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Jessica in 6.
Highest recorded here: Ava #5 in 2017, Jessica #5 in 2003.
The order changed in 2009: Ava moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #15 and #9; by 2009 that had become #15 and #17.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Ava #10, Jessica #85.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls15 shared years, 2003–2017
Ava held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Jessica in 5.
Highest recorded here: Ava #3 in 2017, Jessica #2 in 2003.
The order changed in 2008: Ava moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #12 and #10; by 2008 that had become #9 and #16.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Ava #3, Jessica #96.
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 | Jessica |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Meaning debated — no single origin is established with confidence. | Coined by William Shakespeare for his 1596 play The Merchant of Venice, where it belongs to Shylock's daughter — likely based on the biblical name Iscah, also spelled Jescha/Jischa in some translations of Shakespeare's time. |
| Origin | Disputed — possibly Germanic, possibly a short form of Eve | Biblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage |
| Pronunciation | /ˈeɪvə/ | /ˈd͡ʒɛs.ɪ.kə/ |
| 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 #139 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| 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 Jessica is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage origin.
- Ava has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Jessica.
- Ava's recorded meaning differs from Jessica'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
Jessica
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #471 among girls in Norway in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2005 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #139 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls