Ava vs Tess
Ava and Tesscompared 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 Tess #2771 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #11 and Tess #638 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ava was ranked #26 and Tess #148 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ava was ranked #32 and Tess #227 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Ava and Tess over time
Ava and Tess appear together in 3 published lists, across 80 years of shared records. Ava held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Tess in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one 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 2 of those lists, Tess in 1. 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Ava and Tess were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 30 years, from 1990 to 2025, ending at #26 and #148.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls30 shared years, 1990–2025
Ava held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Tess in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ava #1 in 2008, Tess #133 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ava #26, Tess #148.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ava held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Tess in 1.
Highest recorded here: Ava #3 in 2018, Tess #423 in 2005.
The order changed in 1997: Ava moved ahead. In 1996 they stood at #753 and #643; by 1997 that had become #500 and #689.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ava #9, Tess #2771.
Northern Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 2001–2024
Ava held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Tess in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ava #9 in 2016, Tess #175 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ava #32, Tess #227.
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 | Tess |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #18 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #148 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| 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 has a recorded origin (Disputed — possibly Germanic, possibly a short form of Eve); Tess does not have one recorded yet.
- Ava has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Tess.
- A meaning is recorded for Ava; Tess doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
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
Tess
Popularity journey
First recorded1990
First recorded at #517 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1990 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1990–2025
Highest recorded position: #133 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2021 (recorded 1990–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #148 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls