Ava vs Kate
Ava and Katecompared 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 Kate #1302 among girls in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2008, Ava was ranked #9 and Kate #84 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #11 and Kate #541 among girls in Scotland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2014, Ava was ranked #12 and Kate #81 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ava was ranked #26 and Kate #52 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #32 and Kate #134 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2022, Ava was ranked #128 and Kate #490 among girls in Norway.
Ava and Kate over time
Ava and Kate appear together in 5 published lists, across 124 years of shared records. Ava held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Kate in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Kate reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 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 took the other's place near the top
In Northern Ireland · Girls, Ava moved into the top 50 at #46 in 2007 as Kate fell out of it to #57, having been #49 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2005, Ava moved ahead of Kate in England and Wales · Girls — #153 and #92 the year before became #82 and #114.
- Mirrored each other
Over 25 shared years in Northern Ireland · Girls, Ava rose about as far as Kate fell — from #351 and #69 in 1998 to #32 and #134 in 2024.
- Longest-running competitions
Ava and Kate were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 45 years, from 1978 to 2025, ending at #26 and #52.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Ava #1 in 2008, Kate #10 in 2007.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls45 shared years, 1978–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Kate in 24.
Highest recorded here: Ava #1 in 2008, Kate #10 in 2007.
The order changed in 2005: Ava moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #18 and #14; by 2005 that had become #18 and #22.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #26, Kate #52.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ava held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Kate in 9.
Highest recorded here: Ava #3 in 2018, Kate #59 in 1996.
The order changed in 2005: Ava moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #153 and #92; by 2005 that had become #82 and #114.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ava #9, Kate #1302.
Northern Ireland · Girls25 shared years, 1998–2024
Ava held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Kate in 7.
Highest recorded here: Ava #9 in 2016, Kate #47 in 2005.
The order changed in 2007: Ava moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #81 and #49; by 2007 that had become #46 and #57.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ava #32, Kate #134.
Norway · Girls13 shared years, 1999–2022
Ava held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Kate in 1.
Highest recorded here: Ava #104 in 2020, Kate #457 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Ava #128, Kate #490.
New Zealand · Girls12 shared years, 2003–2014
Ava held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Kate in 3.
Highest recorded here: Ava #8 in 2013, Kate #19 in 2003.
The order changed in 2006: Ava moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #51 and #24; by 2006 that had become #26 and #28.
Most recent shared year, 2014: Ava #12, Kate #81.
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 | Kate |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Meaning debated — no single origin is established with confidence. | A short form of Katherine, used independently since the Middle Ages — appears in Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew (1593) as a short form of Katherina. |
| Origin | Disputed — possibly Germanic, possibly a short form of Eve | Greek, short form of Katherine |
| Pronunciation | /ˈeɪvə/ | /ˈkeɪt/ |
| 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, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #18 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #52 (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 Kate is recorded with a Greek, short form of Katherine origin.
- Ava and Kate both have 2 syllables.
- Ava's recorded meaning differs from Kate'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 #18 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Kate
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #233 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #10 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2007 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #52 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls