Ava vs Shannon
Ava and Shannoncompared 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 Shannon #1743 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ava was ranked #26 and Shannon #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #32 and Shannon #407 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Ava and Shannon over time
Ava and Shannon appear together in 3 published lists, across 96 years of shared records. Ava held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Shannon in 0.
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.
Shannon 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 took the other's place near the top
In Northern Ireland · Girls, Ava moved into the top 50 at #24 in 2008 as Shannon fell out of it to #58, having been #40 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2006, Ava moved ahead of Shannon in England and Wales · Girls — #82 and #61 the year before became #60 and #73.
- Mirrored each other
Over 42 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Ava rose about as far as Shannon fell — from #522 and #522 in 1978 to #26 and #885 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Ava and Shannon were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 42 years, from 1978 to 2025, ending at #26 and #885.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls42 shared years, 1978–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Shannon in 16.
Highest recorded here: Ava #1 in 2008, Shannon #11 in 1995.
The order changed in 2002: Ava moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #41 and #29; by 2002 that had become #26 and #37.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #26, Shannon #885.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ava held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Shannon in 10.
Highest recorded here: Ava #3 in 2018, Shannon #11 in 1996.
The order changed in 2006: Ava moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #82 and #61; by 2006 that had become #60 and #73.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ava #9, Shannon #1743.
Northern Ireland · Girls25 shared years, 1998–2024
Ava held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Shannon in 8.
Highest recorded here: Ava #9 in 2016, Shannon #7 in 1998.
The order changed in 2008: Ava moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #46 and #40; by 2008 that had become #24 and #58.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ava #32, Shannon #407.
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 | Shannon |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #18 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #885 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| 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); Shannon does not have one recorded yet.
- Ava and Shannon both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ava; Shannon doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, 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
Shannon
Popularity journey
First recorded1973
First recorded at #69 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1973 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 1997 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls