Nameling

Ada

Gender
Girl
Say it
AY-da
Origin
Germanic
UK rank, 2025
#43 for girls
US rank, 2025
#219 for girls

Vintage revival

Ada is a girls' name of Germanic origin, meaning “noble”. In 2025 it ranked 43rd for girls in the UK (1,129 babies) and 219th for girls in the US (1,401 babies).

What does Ada mean?

Germanic: short form of names beginning with adal, 'noble'

“noble”

Ada Lovelace (1815-1852), daughter of Lord Byron, is often called the first computer programmer.

More on Wiktionary.

Is Ada a girl's or a boy's name?

Ada is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 1,129 girls in the UK and 1,401 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.

How popular is Ada in the UK?

Rank in 2025
#43among girls
Babies in 2025
1,129about 1 in 250 girls
Five-year trend
Steadyup 7% in five years
Same name in a class
5.5%chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 1,129 girls in the UK were named Ada, making it the 43rd most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 40th. Its busiest year was 2022, with 1,273 girls.

It has been given to fewer girls each year for the last 3 years. 2025 had fewer girls named Ada than any year since 2018.

Half of all the girls named Ada in the UK since 1996 were born between 2018 and 2023, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 1,350 girls in the UK were given Ada or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #38, up from #43 for this spelling alone.

Among girls in 2025, it was 40th in England and Wales, 51st in Scotland and 47th in Northern Ireland.

In the England and Wales top 100 for girls, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#25), 1914 (#39), 1924 (#74) and 2024 (#40).

1996Busiest: 1,273 in 20222025
Ada in the UK, year by year
YearGirlsRank
20251,129#43
20241,173#41
20231,229#37
20221,273#37
20211,162#44
20201,255#40
20191,139#51
2018897#66
2017513#119
2016389#157
2015319#192
2014232#241
2013184#281
2012133#396
2011128#394
201086#525
200976#565
200857#703
200734#963
200631#1,000
200530#968
200414#1,634
200313#1,649
20027#2,436
200112#1,637
200010#1,792
19997#2,295
19984#3,310
199711#1,664
19966#2,469

How popular is Ada in the US?

Rank in 2025
#219among girls
Babies in 2025
1,401about 1 in 1,100 girls
Five-year trend
Steadyup 7% in five years
Same name in a class
1.2%chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 1,401 girls in the US were named Ada, making it the 219th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 185th. Its busiest year was 1918, with 1,943 girls.

It has been given to fewer girls each year for the last 3 years. 2025 had fewer girls named Ada than any year since 2018.

Half of all the girls named Ada in the US since 1880 were born between 1908 and 1971. It was already well used in 1880, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.

In 2025, 1,609 girls in the US were given Ada or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #224.

1880Busiest: 1,943 in 19182025
Ada in the US, year by year
YearGirlsRank
20251,401#219
20241,575#191
20231,652#179
20221,657#181
20211,650#180
20201,560#185
20191,467#208
20181,302#251
20171,020#319
2016968#345
2015922#355
2014871#374
2013703#435
2012634#484
2011606#489
2010544#538
2009537#570
2008529#585
2007466#638
2006404#703
2005329#789
2004306#820
2003220#1,037
2002214#1,013
2001193#1,095
2000197#1,051
1999184#1,084
1998146#1,240
1997143#1,240
1996140#1,244
1995150#1,153
1994155#1,144
1993138#1,248
1992197#967
1991170#1,062
1990177#1,022
1989165#1,034
1988154#1,043
1987157#997
1986146#1,032
1985165#945
1984156#940
1983146#993
1982170#893
1981181#858
1980166#909
1979179#864
1978197#778
1977187#802
1976168#826
1975186#761
1974164#818
1973201#718
1972206#702
1971198#747
1970238#668
1969223#664
1968254#604
1967245#606
1966244#607
1965268#583
1964318#554
1963305#561
1962322#546
1961344#527
1960351#514
1959364#513
1958371#499
1957393#477
1956397#464
1955433#422
1954444#408
1953437#410
1952482#374
1951514#351
1950471#368
1949497#351
1948533#338
1947524#348
1946547#317
1945527#301
1944547#290
1943658#271
1942709#258
1941677#249
1940665#246
1939703#233
1938745#224
1937796#208
1936750#217
1935798#214
1934833#213
1933870#199
1932984#186
1931973#186
19301,040#185
19291,129#178
19281,213#171
19271,347#165
19261,462#161
19251,500#161
19241,583#159
19231,638#153
19221,684#148
19211,756#145
19201,823#136
19191,818#129
19181,943#123
19171,853#119
19161,860#117
19151,817#114
19141,494#106
19131,282#104
19121,268#96
1911939#97
1910960#94
1909945#88
1908922#87
1907906#83
1906819#87
1905873#80
1904878#79
1903843#78
1902921#74
1901913#66
19001,101#72
1899984#61
18981,022#66
1897956#66
18961,041#63
18951,124#58
18941,018#62
18931,051#55
18921,134#50
1891975#51
18901,074#51
18891,005#51
18881,116#46
1887910#45
1886915#46
1885876#43
1884854#44
1883778#44
1882689#44
1881628#41
1880652#33

Names like Ada

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Matilda Clara Eva Lottie Nora Mabel Elsie Olive Ella Violet Alice Annie

Other spellings of Ada

Ayda Adah Eadha Adda Aydah

Names related to Ada

Aida Adea Aidah Adya Adia Adaya Adaia

More Germanic names

Amelia Liam Henry Charlotte William Archie Charlie Emma Freddie Harry Millie Albie Louie Miles Myles Charles

Every Germanic name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Ada: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/ada, updated 20 October 2026.