| Ava | Olivia | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Of debated origin; often “life” or “bird” | Olive tree |
| Origin | Latin | Latin |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | AY-vuh | oh-LIV-ee-uh |
| Syllables | 2 | 4 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2007 (18,053) | 2014 (19,840) |
| In 2025 | 7,732 | 13,544 |
| Trend | Declining | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Ava | Olivia |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 63,350 | 95,853 |
| 2010s | 155,879 | 184,561 |
| 2000s | 104,539 | 156,054 |
| 1990s | 4,207 | 75,913 |
| 1980s | 1,416 | 14,060 |
| 1970s | 1,319 | 7,846 |
| 1960s | 2,342 | 4,016 |
| 1950s | 4,237 | 6,100 |
| 1940s | 1,346 | 7,201 |
| 1930s | 1,180 | 3,922 |
| 1920s | 1,590 | 4,982 |
| 1910s | 1,401 | 3,545 |
| 1900s | 533 | 1,575 |
| 1890s | 479 | 1,099 |
| 1880s | 279 | 618 |
A short, much-loved name whose origin is debated — linked variously to “life” (via Eve), to a Germanic root, and to the Latin avis, “bird.”
Olivia derives from the Latin oliva, “olive tree,” a symbol of peace. Shakespeare popularised it as a character name in Twelfth Night.
Olivia is more popular than Ava today: about 13,544 US babies were given the name Olivia in 2025, compared with 7,732 named Ava.
Ava means Of debated origin; often “life” or “bird” (Latin origin), while Olivia means Olive tree (Latin origin).
In US records, Ava first appears in 1880 and Olivia in 1880, so Ava has the longer recorded history.