Mia vs Mila
Mia and Milacompared 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Mia was ranked #5 and Mila #21 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Mia was ranked #13 and Mila #11 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Mia was ranked #11 and Mila #80 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Mia was ranked #14 and Mila #46 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Mia was ranked #20 and Mila #150 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Mia was ranked #21 and Mila #102 among girls in Norway.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Mia was ranked #26 and Mila #30 among girls in Scotland.
Mia and Mila over time
Mia and Mila appear together in 6 published lists, across 119 years of shared records. Mia held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Mila in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Mia reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 6 of those lists, and Mila in none. 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Mia held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Mila in 0.
Highest recorded here: Mia #5 in 2019, Mila #35 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Mia #14, Mila #46.
Norway · Girls24 shared years, 1981–2025
Mia held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Mila in 0.
Highest recorded here: Mia #8 in 2011, Mila #82 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Mia #21, Mila #102.
Republic of Ireland · Girls23 shared years, 2002–2025
Mia held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Mila in 0.
Highest recorded here: Mia #6 in 2012, Mila #58 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Mia #11, Mila #80.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls15 shared years, 2011–2025
Mia held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Mila in 0.
Highest recorded here: Mia #2 in 2014, Mila #18 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Mia #5, Mila #21.
New Zealand · Girls14 shared years, 2010–2023
Mia held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Mila in 4.
Highest recorded here: Mia #7 in 2017, Mila #4 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Mia #13, Mila #11.
Northern Ireland · Girls14 shared years, 2011–2024
Mia held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Mila in 0.
Highest recorded here: Mia #14 in 2015, Mila #72 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Mia #20, Mila #150.
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 | Mia | Mila |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Directly a diminutive of Maria. | Commonly interpreted as 'gracious, dear', from the Slavic element milu. Originally used as a short form of longer names containing that element before becoming an independent given name. |
| Origin | Scandinavian/Italian, via Maria | Slavic |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmiːə/ | /ˈmi.ɫa/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| 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 | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #5 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #21 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Mia is recorded with a Scandinavian/Italian, via Maria origin, while Mila is recorded with a Slavic origin.
- Mia has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Mila.
- Mia's recorded meaning differs from Mila'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
Mia
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #357 among girls in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2025
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2008 (recorded 1997–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #5 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Mila
Popularity journey
First recorded1981
First recorded at #653 among girls in Norway in 1981 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded2010–2023
Highest recorded position: #4 among girls in New Zealand, in 2022 (recorded 2010–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #21 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls