Ava vs Niamh
Ava and Niamhcompared 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 2025, Ava was ranked #11 and Niamh #208 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #11 and Niamh #76 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ava was ranked #26 and Niamh #90 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #32 and Niamh #47 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Ava and Niamh over time
Ava and Niamh appear together in 3 published lists, across 100 years of shared records. Ava held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Niamh in 1.
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.
Niamh reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 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 moved ahead of the other
In 2006, Ava moved ahead of Niamh in England and Wales · Girls — #82 and #50 the year before became #60 and #63.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 25 shared years in Northern Ireland · Girls, Ava and Niamh averaged 53.5 places apart, ending at #32 and #47.
- Mirrored each other
Over 30 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Ava rose about as far as Niamh fell — from #753 and #120 in 1996 to #11 and #208 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Ava and Niamh were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #11 and #208.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls45 shared years, 1978–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Niamh in 25.
Highest recorded here: Ava #1 in 2008, Niamh #2 in 1993.
The order changed in 2006: Ava moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #18 and #13; by 2006 that had become #6 and #18.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #26, Niamh #90.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Niamh in 10.
Highest recorded here: Ava #3 in 2018, Niamh #40 in 2000.
The order changed in 2006: Ava moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #82 and #50; by 2006 that had become #60 and #63.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #11, Niamh #208.
Northern Ireland · Girls25 shared years, 1998–2024
Ava held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Niamh in 11.
Highest recorded here: Ava #9 in 2016, Niamh #5 in 2005.
The order changed in 2012: Ava moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #25 and #21; by 2012 that had become #26 and #29.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ava #32, Niamh #47.
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 | Niamh |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Meaning debated — no single origin is established with confidence. | Traditionally interpreted as 'bright' or 'radiant'. In Irish mythology, Niamh was daughter of the sea god Manannán mac Lir, who fell in love with the poet Oisín. |
| Origin | Disputed — possibly Germanic, possibly a short form of Eve | Irish (mythological) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈeɪvə/ | /ˈnʲiːvˠ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Neve, Níam |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #11 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #90 (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 | high |
What the data shows
- Ava is recorded with a Disputed — possibly Germanic, possibly a short form of Eve origin, while Niamh is recorded with a Irish (mythological) origin.
- Ava has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Niamh.
- Ava's recorded meaning differs from Niamh's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Ava a "medium" Data Confidence level and Niamh a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
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
Niamh
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #109 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1993 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #208 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls