Olivia vs Selma
Olivia and Selmacompared 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, Olivia was ranked #1 and Selma #2000 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Olivia was ranked #2 and Selma #11 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2015, Olivia was ranked #14 and Selma #896 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Olivia and Selma over time
Olivia and Selma appear together in 2 published lists, across 98 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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 2011, Olivia moved ahead of Selma in Norway · Girls — #35 and #25 the year before became #25 and #32.
- Longest-running competitions
Olivia and Selma were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 56 years, from 1996 to 2024, ending at #1 and #2000.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Girls within 2 years — Olivia #2 in 2023, Selma #5 in 2024.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls56 shared years, 1996–2024
Olivia held the stronger position in 56 of those years, Selma in 0.
Highest recorded here: Olivia #1 in 2008, Selma #1082 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Olivia #1, Selma #2000.
Norway · Girls42 shared years, 1975–2025
Olivia held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Selma in 25.
Highest recorded here: Olivia #2 in 2023, Selma #5 in 2024.
The order changed in 2011: Olivia moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #35 and #25; by 2011 that had become #25 and #32.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Olivia #2, Selma #11.
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 | Olivia | Selma |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'olive tree' or 'symbol of peace'. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Latin | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /əˈlɪviə/ | |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Olivea, Liv, Livvy, Oliwia | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #2 (2025) | Norway · Girls #11 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Olivia has a recorded origin (Latin); Selma does not have one recorded yet.
- Olivia has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Selma.
- A meaning is recorded for Olivia; Selma doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
- The available evidence gives Olivia a "high" Data Confidence level and Selma a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
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
Selma
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #352 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #5 among girls in Norway, in 2024 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls