Ava vs Maya
Ava and Maya compared 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 Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Ava was ranked #8 and Maya #72 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Ava was ranked #11 and Maya #28 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #11 and Maya #19 among girls in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Ava was ranked #18 and Maya #53 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ava was ranked #26 and Maya #40 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #32 and Maya #47 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Ava was ranked #143 and Maya #86 among girls in Norway.
Ava and Maya over time
Higher on the chart is a stronger position. The scale is logarithmic, so the gap from #1 to #10 is drawn as large as the gap from #100 to #1,000.
Higher on the chart is a stronger position. The scale is logarithmic, so the gap from #1 to #10 is drawn as large as the gap from #100 to #1,000.
Ava and Maya over time
Ava and Maya appear together in 6 published lists, across 145 years of shared records. Ava held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Maya in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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 4 of those lists, Maya in 2. 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 2005, Ava moved ahead of Maya in England and Wales · Girls — #153 and #85 the year before became #82 and #98.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 23 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Ava and Maya averaged 38.1 places apart, ending at #18 and #53.
- Longest-running competitions
Ava and Maya were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #11 and #28.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Maya in 9.
Highest recorded here: Ava #3 in 2018, Maya #15 in 2024.
The order changed in 2005: Ava moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #153 and #85; by 2005 that had become #82 and #98.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #11, Maya #28.
Republic of Ireland · Girls29 shared years, 1997–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Maya in 1.
Highest recorded here: Ava #1 in 2008, Maya #17 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #26, Maya #40.
Norway · Girls26 shared years, 1999–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Maya in 26.
Highest recorded here: Ava #104 in 2020, Maya #66 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #143, Maya #86.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls23 shared years, 2003–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Maya in 1.
Highest recorded here: Ava #3 in 2017, Maya #28 in 2021.
The order changed in 2004: Ava moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #80 and #74; by 2004 that had become #57 and #74.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #18, Maya #53.
Northern Ireland · Girls23 shared years, 2002–2024
Ava held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Maya in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ava #9 in 2016, Maya #47 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ava #32, Maya #47.
New Zealand · Girls14 shared years, 2003–2023
Ava held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Maya in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ava #5 in 2017, Maya #68 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ava #8, Maya #72.
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 | Maya |
|---|---|---|
| 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/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | New South Wales, Australia, England and Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Republic of Ireland, Norway, New Zealand | New South Wales, Australia, England and Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Republic of Ireland, Norway, New Zealand |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #11 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #28 (2025) |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ava has a recorded origin (Disputed — possibly Germanic, possibly a short form of Eve); Maya does not have one recorded yet.
- Ava has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Maya.
- A meaning is recorded for Ava; Maya doesn't have one written yet.
- 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
Maya
Popularity journey
First recorded1961
First recorded at #497 among girls in Norway in 1961 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #15 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #28 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls