Ava vs Laura
Ava and Lauracompared 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 Laura #258 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #11 and Laura #351 among girls in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2009, Ava was ranked #12 and Laura #90 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2008, Ava was ranked #15 and Laura #71 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ava was ranked #26 and Laura #112 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #32 and Laura #253 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Ava was ranked #143 and Laura #141 among girls in Norway.
Ava and Laura over time
Ava and Laura appear together in 4 published lists, across 125 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Laura reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Ava in 1. 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 #24 in 2008 as Laura fell out of it to #53, having been #46 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2005, Ava moved ahead of Laura in England and Wales · Girls — #153 and #81 the year before became #82 and #94.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Ava and Laura changed places 10 times in Norway · Girls between 1999 and 2025, ending at #143 and #141.
- Longest-running competitions
Ava and Laura were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 45 years, from 1978 to 2025, ending at #26 and #112.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls45 shared years, 1978–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Laura in 23.
Highest recorded here: Ava #1 in 2008, Laura #2 in 1985.
The order changed in 2004: Ava moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #24 and #21; by 2004 that had become #18 and #24.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #26, Laura #112.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ava held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Laura in 9.
Highest recorded here: Ava #3 in 2018, Laura #17 in 1996.
The order changed in 2005: Ava moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #153 and #81; by 2005 that had become #82 and #94.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ava #9, Laura #258.
Norway · Girls26 shared years, 1999–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Laura in 21.
Highest recorded here: Ava #104 in 2020, Laura #99 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #143, Laura #141.
Northern Ireland · Girls25 shared years, 1998–2024
Ava held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Laura in 7.
Highest recorded here: Ava #9 in 2016, Laura #15 in 1998.
The order changed in 2008: Ava moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #46 and #46; by 2008 that had become #24 and #53.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ava #32, Laura #253.
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 | Laura |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Meaning debated — no single origin is established with confidence. | From Latin 'laurus' meaning 'laurel' — laurel wreaths honoured victors in ancient Rome. Also the subject of 14th-century Italian poet Petrarch's poems. |
| Origin | Disputed — possibly Germanic, possibly a short form of Eve | Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈeɪvə/ | /ˈlɔɹ.ə/ |
| 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 #112 (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 Laura is recorded with a Latin origin.
- Ava and Laura both have 2 syllables.
- Ava's recorded meaning differs from Laura'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
Laura
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #313 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: #2 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1985 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #141 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls