Isla vs Olivia
Isla 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, Isla was ranked #4 and Olivia #1 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Isla was ranked #2 and Olivia #1 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Isla was ranked #8 and Olivia #2 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Isla was ranked #4 and Olivia #3 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Isla was ranked #3 and Olivia #4 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Isla was ranked #13 and Olivia #8 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Isla and Olivia over time
Isla and Olivia appear together in 6 published lists, across 137 years of shared records. Olivia held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Isla 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, Isla 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Isla and Olivia changed places 4 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 2004 and 2024, ending at #8 and #2.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 20 shared years in New Zealand · Girls, Isla and Olivia averaged 18.4 places apart, ending at #3 and #4.
- Longest-running competitions
Isla and Olivia were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 38 years, from 1996 to 2024, ending at #4 and #1.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Isla #1 in 2023, Olivia #2 in 2024.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls38 shared years, 1996–2024
Isla held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Olivia in 38.
Highest recorded here: Isla #3 in 2014, Olivia #1 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Isla #4, Olivia #1.
Republic of Ireland · Girls24 shared years, 1979–2025
Isla held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Olivia in 22.
Highest recorded here: Isla #11 in 2023, Olivia #7 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Isla #13, Olivia #8.
Northern Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 2004–2024
Isla held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Olivia in 18.
Highest recorded here: Isla #1 in 2023, Olivia #2 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Isla #8, Olivia #2.
New Zealand · Girls20 shared years, 2004–2023
Isla held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Olivia in 13.
Highest recorded here: Isla #1 in 2020, Olivia #1 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Isla #3, Olivia #4.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls18 shared years, 2008–2025
Isla held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Olivia in 16.
Highest recorded here: Isla #1 in 2023, Olivia #1 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Isla #4, Olivia #3.
Scotland · Girls16 shared years, 2024–2024
Isla held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Olivia in 16.
Highest recorded here: Isla #2 in 2024, Olivia #1 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Isla #2, Olivia #1.
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 | Isla | Olivia |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A Scottish place name; not generally treated as having a separate lexical 'meaning' beyond the river/place it names. | Commonly interpreted as 'olive tree' or 'symbol of peace'. |
| Origin | Scottish | Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈaɪlə/ | /əˈlɪviə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Islay | Olivea, Liv, Livvy, Oliwia |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · 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 | high | high |
What the data shows
- Isla is recorded with a Scottish origin, while Olivia is recorded with a Latin origin.
- Isla has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Olivia.
- Isla'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, NZ.
How each name got here
Isla
Popularity journey
First recorded1979
First recorded at #467 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1979 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2008–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2023 (recorded 2008–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #4 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