Grace vs Olivia
Grace 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, Grace was ranked #25 and Olivia #1 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Grace was ranked #1 and Olivia #2 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Grace was ranked #13 and Olivia #1 among girls in Scotland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Grace was ranked #503 and Olivia #2 among girls in Norway.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Grace was ranked #11 and Olivia #3 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Grace was ranked #18 and Olivia #4 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Grace was ranked #4 and Olivia #8 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Grace and Olivia over time
Grace and Olivia appear together in 6 published lists, across 220 years of shared records. Olivia held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Grace in 2.
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.
Grace reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Olivia in 2. 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, Grace and Olivia averaged 11.2 places apart, ending at #25 and #1.
- Longest-running competitions
Grace and Olivia were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Girls for 37 years, from 1988 to 2025, ending at #11 and #3.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Grace #1 in 2006, Olivia #1 in 2008.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Grace held the stronger position in 53 of those years, Olivia in 9.
Highest recorded here: Grace #1 in 2020, Olivia #4 in 1975.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Grace #4, Olivia #8.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls37 shared years, 1988–2025
Grace held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Olivia in 37.
Highest recorded here: Grace #7 in 2018, Olivia #1 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Grace #11, Olivia #3.
New Zealand · Girls37 shared years, 1987–2023
Grace held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Olivia in 37.
Highest recorded here: Grace #5 in 2000, Olivia #1 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Grace #18, Olivia #4.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Grace held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Olivia in 27.
Highest recorded here: Grace #1 in 2006, Olivia #1 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Grace #25, Olivia #1.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Grace held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Olivia in 4.
Highest recorded here: Grace #1 in 2013, Olivia #2 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Grace #1, Olivia #2.
Norway · Girls27 shared years, 1964–2025
Grace held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Olivia in 21.
Highest recorded here: Grace #354 in 2017, Olivia #2 in 2023.
The order changed in 1989: Olivia moved ahead. In 1988 they stood at #607 and #672; by 1989 that had become #612 and #546.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Grace #503, 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 | Grace | Olivia |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Grace, favour (the English virtue word, used directly as a name). | Commonly interpreted as 'olive tree' or 'symbol of peace'. |
| Origin | English (virtue name), from Latin gratia | Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɡɹeɪs/ | /əˈlɪviə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Gracie | 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 | Republic of Ireland · Girls #4 (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
- Grace is recorded with a English (virtue name), from Latin gratia origin, while Olivia is recorded with a Latin origin.
- Grace has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Olivia.
- Grace'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
Grace
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #393 among girls in Norway in 1946 — 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 2006 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · 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