Ava vs Mia
Ava and Miacompared 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 2025, Ava was ranked #18 and Mia #5 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Ava was ranked #8 and Mia #13 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #9 and Mia #14 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ava was ranked #26 and Mia #11 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #11 and Mia #26 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #32 and Mia #20 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Ava was ranked #143 and Mia #21 among girls in Norway.
Ava and Mia over time
Ava and Mia appear together in 6 published lists, across 158 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.
Mia reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Ava 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 2010, Ava moved ahead of Mia in England and Wales · Girls — #12 and #11 the year before became #11 and #13.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Ava and Mia changed places 4 times in New South Wales, Australia · Girls between 2003 and 2025, ending at #18 and #5.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 23 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Ava and Mia averaged 9.3 places apart, ending at #18 and #5.
- Longest-running competitions
Ava and Mia were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 34 years, from 1988 to 2025, ending at #26 and #11.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Ava #3 in 2018, Mia #5 in 2019.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls34 shared years, 1988–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Mia in 8.
Highest recorded here: Ava #1 in 2008, Mia #6 in 2012.
The order changed in 2023: Mia moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #7 and #8; by 2023 that had become #15 and #7.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #26, Mia #11.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ava held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Mia in 14.
Highest recorded here: Ava #3 in 2018, Mia #5 in 2019.
The order changed in 2010: Ava moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #12 and #11; by 2010 that had become #11 and #13.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ava #9, Mia #14.
Norway · Girls26 shared years, 1999–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Mia in 26.
Highest recorded here: Ava #104 in 2020, Mia #8 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #143, Mia #21.
Northern Ireland · Girls25 shared years, 1998–2024
Ava held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Mia in 14.
Highest recorded here: Ava #9 in 2016, Mia #14 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ava #32, Mia #20.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls23 shared years, 2003–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Mia in 20.
Highest recorded here: Ava #3 in 2017, Mia #2 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #18, Mia #5.
New Zealand · Girls21 shared years, 2003–2023
Ava held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Mia in 7.
Highest recorded here: Ava #5 in 2017, Mia #7 in 2017.
The order changed in 2019: Ava moved ahead. In 2018 they stood at #10 and #9; by 2019 that had become #10 and #15.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ava #8, Mia #13.
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 | Mia |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Meaning debated — no single origin is established with confidence. | Directly a diminutive of Maria. |
| Origin | Disputed — possibly Germanic, possibly a short form of Eve | Scandinavian/Italian, via Maria |
| Pronunciation | /ˈeɪvə/ | /ˈmiːə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| 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) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #5 (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 Mia is recorded with a Scandinavian/Italian, via Maria origin.
- Ava has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Mia.
- Ava's recorded meaning differs from Mia'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
Mia
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #357 among girls in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2025
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2008 (recorded 1997–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #5 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls