Look at the photo above for ten seconds. Now answer honestly: which one is Ava, and which one is Olivia? If you hesitated, you just failed the test even longtime OutDaughtered fans fail weekly. According to the Busbys themselves, even Adam and Danielle have stared at a photo of their own daughters and wondered, “Was that Ava or Olivia?”
The One Fact That Changes Everything
First, forget “identical quints.” Of the five Busby girls, only two are identical twins: Ava Lane and Olivia Marie. Hazel, Riley, and Parker are fraternal — they shared a womb, but not the same DNA.
Adam has told the story himself: the couple were first told they were expecting four babies. Then, at a fourth ultrasound, everything changed. As Adam wrote, “There it was clear as day, twins!” One egg had split, turning four expected babies into five — and making Ava and Olivia, born first and second in April 2015, the only identical pair in America’s first all-female quintuplet set.
The Face Test: Rounder vs. Narrower
Adam once gave fans the simplest cheat sheet of all: “Olivia’s face is a little more narrow than Ava’s… and Ava’s face — Ava’s the big one.” Rounder face, probably Ava. Narrower face, probably Olivia.
Danielle later added an honest warning: it works better in real life than in photos. At just the wrong angle, even she and Adam have paused over a picture and asked which twin was in the shot. If a still photo defeats you, it defeats their own parents too.
The Personality Test: Serious vs. Showtime
When faces fail, watch how they act — because according to their parents and TLC, the twins are night and day. Ava is the sweet, smiley, more serious one, a mama’s girl nicknamed “tater tot” and “squishy.” Olivia is the comedian: always laughing, always loving an audience, and famous for bringing out Ava’s silly side.
YOU MAY LIKEAdam Busby’s Halloween Scare Totally Backfired — 5 Wild Busby Halloween Moments RankedThe mix-ups started early. Danielle once revealed that little Riley, at just two, coped by calling them both “Ava LuLu” or “LuLu Ava” — LuLu being one of Olivia’s nicknames. If a sister in the same house needed a combo name, new fans get a pass.
The Classroom Split: When the Twins Asked to Be Separated
This was never just a fan problem. When the quints returned to face-to-face school in first grade, Danielle let each girl choose: share a classroom, or go solo. Ava and Olivia chose solo — because, according to reports, people kept mixing them up. They wanted to be seen as two people, not one matching set.
The twist is pure Busby chaos. While Ava and Olivia split up, Olivia and Hazel shared a classroom and became inseparable besties who loved dressing alike — so much so that, according to Danielle, the younger quints got confused and decided Ava and Olivia must simply be “the same.”
The Parents’ Cheat Sheet: Color Codes and Cubbies
How did Adam and Danielle survive the baby years? They invented a system. Danielle has explained that every baby was color-coded: blankets, pacifiers, and cups carried each girl’s color and label, so helpers could tell who was who. At preschool, each girl got her own cubby and class. It was never about matching — it was about making sure each girl was known.
Now it is your turn. Look at our featured photo once more: who is Ava, and who is Olivia — and what gave it away, face shape or personality? Team Face Shape, Team Personality, or Team “I Give Up”? Drop your answer below, and be honest about your guesses.
