Ella vs Olivia
Ella 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, Ella was ranked #39 and Olivia #1 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ella was ranked #9 and Olivia #1 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ella was ranked #12 and Olivia #2 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Ella was ranked #4 and Olivia #2 among girls in Norway.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Ella was ranked #11 and Olivia #3 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Ella was ranked #9 and Olivia #4 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ella was ranked #17 and Olivia #8 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Ella and Olivia over time
Ella and Olivia appear together in 6 published lists, across 203 years of shared records. Olivia held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Ella in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Ella reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, Olivia 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Ella and Olivia changed places 8 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1997 and 2024, ending at #12 and #2.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Ella and Olivia averaged 14.8 places apart, ending at #39 and #1.
- Longest-running competitions
Ella and Olivia were both ranked in New Zealand · Girls for 30 years, from 1993 to 2023, ending at #9 and #4.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls46 shared years, 1970–2025
Ella held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Olivia in 25.
Highest recorded here: Ella #3 in 2007, Olivia #7 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ella #17, Olivia #8.
Norway · Girls42 shared years, 1964–2025
Ella held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Olivia in 13.
Highest recorded here: Ella #3 in 2019, Olivia #2 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ella #4, Olivia #2.
New Zealand · Girls30 shared years, 1993–2023
Ella held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Olivia in 25.
Highest recorded here: Ella #1 in 2007, Olivia #1 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ella #9, Olivia #4.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ella held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Olivia in 29.
Highest recorded here: Ella #6 in 2015, Olivia #1 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ella #39, Olivia #1.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls28 shared years, 1998–2025
Ella held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Olivia in 26.
Highest recorded here: Ella #2 in 2007, Olivia #1 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ella #11, Olivia #3.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Ella held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Olivia in 18.
Highest recorded here: Ella #2 in 2015, Olivia #2 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ella #12, Olivia #2.
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 | Ella | Olivia |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A diminutive of Eleanor, Ellen and other names beginning with 'El-', also used as a short form of names ending in '-ella'. Widely used across Scandinavian and Germanic languages as well as English. | Commonly interpreted as 'olive tree' or 'symbol of peace'. |
| Origin | Germanic, diminutive form | Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛl.ə/ | /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 | Norway · Girls #4 (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
- Ella is recorded with a Germanic, diminutive form origin, while Olivia is recorded with a Latin origin.
- Ella has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Olivia.
- Ella'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 Ella 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
Ella
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #137 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1993–2023
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New Zealand, in 2007 (recorded 1993–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 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