Ava vs Maja
Ava and Majacompared 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 Maja #425 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #11 and Maja #244 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ava was ranked #26 and Maja #247 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Ava was ranked #143 and Maja #27 among girls in Norway.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #32 and Maja #253 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Ava and Maja over time
Ava and Maja appear together in 4 published lists, across 95 years of shared records. Ava held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Maja in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Maja 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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Ava #1 in 2008, Maja #54 in 2009.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ava held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Maja in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ava #3 in 2018, Maja #128 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ava #9, Maja #425.
Norway · Girls26 shared years, 1999–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Maja in 26.
Highest recorded here: Ava #104 in 2020, Maja #16 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #143, Maja #27.
Republic of Ireland · Girls22 shared years, 2003–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Maja in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ava #1 in 2008, Maja #54 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #26, Maja #247.
Northern Ireland · Girls18 shared years, 2006–2024
Ava held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Maja in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ava #9 in 2016, Maja #106 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ava #32, Maja #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 | Maja |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Meaning debated — no single origin is established with confidence. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Disputed — possibly Germanic, possibly a short form of Eve | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈeɪvə/ | |
| 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #18 (2025) | Norway · Girls #27 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| 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 has a recorded origin (Disputed — possibly Germanic, possibly a short form of Eve); Maja does not have one recorded yet.
- Ava and Maja both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ava; Maja doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
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
Maja
Popularity journey
First recorded1960
First recorded at #444 among girls in Norway in 1960 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1960–2025
Highest recorded position: #16 among girls in Norway, in 2009 (recorded 1960–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #27 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls