Ava vs Olivia
Ava and Oliviacompared 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 Olivia #1 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #11 and Olivia #1 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #32 and Olivia #2 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Ava was ranked #143 and Olivia #2 among girls in Norway.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Ava was ranked #18 and Olivia #3 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Ava was ranked #8 and Olivia #4 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ava was ranked #26 and Olivia #8 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Ava and Olivia over time
Ava and Olivia appear together in 6 published lists, across 169 years of shared records. Olivia held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Ava in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 3 of the lists they share.
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.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 23 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Ava and Olivia averaged 11.6 places apart, ending at #18 and #3.
- Longest-running competitions
Ava and Olivia were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 45 years, from 1978 to 2025, ending at #26 and #8.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls45 shared years, 1978–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Olivia in 21.
Highest recorded here: Ava #1 in 2008, Olivia #7 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #26, Olivia #8.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ava held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Olivia in 29.
Highest recorded here: Ava #3 in 2018, Olivia #1 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ava #9, Olivia #1.
Norway · Girls26 shared years, 1999–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Olivia in 26.
Highest recorded here: Ava #104 in 2020, Olivia #2 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #143, Olivia #2.
Northern Ireland · Girls25 shared years, 1998–2024
Ava held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Olivia in 24.
Highest recorded here: Ava #9 in 2016, Olivia #2 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ava #32, Olivia #2.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls23 shared years, 2003–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Olivia in 23.
Highest recorded here: Ava #3 in 2017, Olivia #1 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #18, Olivia #3.
New Zealand · Girls21 shared years, 2003–2023
Ava held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Olivia in 20.
Highest recorded here: Ava #5 in 2017, Olivia #1 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ava #8, Olivia #4.
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 | Olivia |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Meaning debated — no single origin is established with confidence. | Commonly interpreted as 'olive tree' or 'symbol of peace'. |
| Origin | Disputed — possibly Germanic, possibly a short form of Eve | Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈeɪvə/ | /əˈlɪviə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Olivea, Liv, Livvy, Oliwia |
| 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) | Norway · Girls #2 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| 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 Olivia is recorded with a Latin origin.
- Ava has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Olivia.
- Ava's recorded meaning differs from Olivia's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Ava a "medium" Data Confidence level and Olivia 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 #18 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Olivia
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #488 among girls in Norway in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2008 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #3 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls