Freya vs Olivia
Freya 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, Freya was ranked #7 and Olivia #1 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Freya was ranked #3 and Olivia #1 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Freya was ranked #10 and Olivia #2 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Freya was ranked #147 and Olivia #2 among girls in Norway.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Freya was ranked #49 and Olivia #3 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Freya was ranked #31 and Olivia #4 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Freya was ranked #25 and Olivia #8 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Freya and Olivia over time
Freya and Olivia appear together in 7 published lists, across 142 years of shared records. Olivia held the stronger position in more years in 7 of them, Freya in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Olivia reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Freya 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.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Freya and Olivia averaged 30.5 places apart, ending at #7 and #1.
- Longest-running competitions
Freya and Olivia were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 34 years, from 1987 to 2025, ending at #25 and #8.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Freya #9 in 2022, Olivia #2 in 2024.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls34 shared years, 1987–2025
Freya held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Olivia in 34.
Highest recorded here: Freya #12 in 2024, Olivia #7 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Freya #25, Olivia #8.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Freya held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Olivia in 29.
Highest recorded here: Freya #5 in 2023, Olivia #1 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Freya #7, Olivia #1.
Northern Ireland · Girls24 shared years, 1997–2024
Freya held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Olivia in 24.
Highest recorded here: Freya #9 in 2022, Olivia #2 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Freya #10, Olivia #2.
Norway · Girls20 shared years, 2005–2025
Freya held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Olivia in 20.
Highest recorded here: Freya #115 in 2023, Olivia #2 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Freya #147, Olivia #2.
Scotland · Girls15 shared years, 2024–2024
Freya held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Olivia in 15.
Highest recorded here: Freya #3 in 2024, Olivia #1 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Freya #3, Olivia #1.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls10 shared years, 2016–2025
Freya held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Olivia in 10.
Highest recorded here: Freya #38 in 2023, Olivia #1 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Freya #49, Olivia #3.
New Zealand · Girls10 shared years, 2014–2023
Freya held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Olivia in 10.
Highest recorded here: Freya #22 in 2021, Olivia #1 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Freya #31, 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 | Freya | Olivia |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'lady' or 'noblewoman'. | Commonly interpreted as 'olive tree' or 'symbol of peace'. |
| Origin | Old Norse | Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈfreɪə/ | /əˈlɪviə/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Freyja, Freja | 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 | Scotland · Girls #1 (2025) | Norway · Girls #2 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | high |
What the data shows
- Freya is recorded with a Old Norse origin, while Olivia is recorded with a Latin origin.
- Freya has 1 syllable, compared with 3 for Olivia.
- Freya'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.
How each name got here
Freya
Popularity journey
First recorded1987
First recorded at #488 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1987 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2024–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in Scotland, in 2025 (recorded 2024–2025).
Scotland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #49 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