Mia vs Olivia
Mia and Olivia compared 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 2025, Mia was ranked #21 and Olivia #1 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Mia was ranked #26 and Olivia #1 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Mia was ranked #20 and Olivia #2 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Mia was ranked #21 and Olivia #2 among girls in Norway.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Mia was ranked #5 and Olivia #3 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Mia was ranked #13 and Olivia #4 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Mia was ranked #11 and Olivia #8 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Mia and Olivia over time
Higher on the chart is a stronger position. The scale is logarithmic, so the gap from #1 to #10 is drawn as large as the gap from #100 to #1,000.
Higher on the chart is a stronger position. The scale is logarithmic, so the gap from #1 to #10 is drawn as large as the gap from #100 to #1,000.
Mia and Olivia over time
Mia and Olivia appear together in 6 published lists, across 189 years of shared records. Olivia held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Mia 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.
Mia 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2014, Olivia moved ahead of Mia in Norway · Girls — #14 and #15 the year before became #14 and #11.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Girls, Mia and Olivia averaged 18.4 places apart, ending at #21 and #1.
- Longest-running competitions
Mia and Olivia were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #21 and #1.
List by list
Norway · Girls43 shared years, 1964–2025
Mia held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Olivia in 12.
Highest recorded here: Mia #8 in 2011, Olivia #2 in 2023.
The order changed in 2014: Olivia moved ahead. In 2013 they stood at #14 and #15; by 2014 that had become #14 and #11.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Mia #21, Olivia #2.
Republic of Ireland · Girls36 shared years, 1971–2025
Mia held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Olivia in 14.
Highest recorded here: Mia #6 in 2012, Olivia #7 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Mia #11, Olivia #8.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Mia held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Olivia in 30.
Highest recorded here: Mia #5 in 2019, Olivia #1 in 2008.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Mia #21, Olivia #1.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls29 shared years, 1997–2025
Mia held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Olivia in 27.
Highest recorded here: Mia #2 in 2008, Olivia #1 in 2014.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Mia #5, Olivia #3.
Northern Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Mia held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Olivia in 27.
Highest recorded here: Mia #14 in 2015, Olivia #2 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Mia #20, Olivia #2.
New Zealand · Girls23 shared years, 2001–2023
Mia held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Olivia in 23.
Highest recorded here: Mia #7 in 2017, Olivia #1 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Mia #13, 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 | Mia | Olivia |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Directly a diminutive of Maria. | Commonly interpreted as 'olive tree' or 'symbol of peace'. |
| Origin | Scandinavian/Italian, via Maria | Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmiːə/ | /əˈlɪviə/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Olivea, Liv, Livvy, Oliwia |
| Recorded regional usage | New South Wales, Australia, England and Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Republic of Ireland, Norway, New Zealand | New South Wales, Australia, England and Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Republic of Ireland, Norway, New Zealand |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #5 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #1 (2025) |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Mia is recorded with a Scandinavian/Italian, via Maria origin, while Olivia is recorded with a Latin origin.
- Mia has 1 syllable, compared with 3 for Olivia.
- Mia'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 Mia 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
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 #21 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · 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 recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2008 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls