Ada vs Alma
Ada and Almacompared 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.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Ada was ranked #18 and Alma #8 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ada was ranked #40 and Alma #234 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ada was ranked #44 and Alma #315 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ada was ranked #45 and Alma #226 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Ada and Alma over time
Ada and Alma appear together in 3 published lists, across 118 years of shared records. Ada held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Alma in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Ada reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Alma in 1. 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 2022, Alma moved ahead of Ada in Norway · Girls — #8 and #9 the year before became #12 and #9.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Ada and Alma changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #40 and #234.
- Longest-running competitions
Ada and Alma were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 64 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #18 and #8.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Ada #36 in 2022, Alma #228 in 2023.
List by list
Norway · Girls64 shared years, 1945–2025
Ada held the stronger position in 41 of those years, Alma in 23.
Highest recorded here: Ada #6 in 2019, Alma #5 in 2023.
The order changed in 2022: Alma moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #8 and #9; by 2022 that had become #12 and #9.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ada #18, Alma #8.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ada held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Alma in 4.
Highest recorded here: Ada #36 in 2022, Alma #228 in 2023.
The order changed in 2005: Ada moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #1617 and #1535; by 2005 that had become #951 and #1500.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ada #40, Alma #234.
Republic of Ireland · Girls25 shared years, 1964–2025
Ada held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Alma in 5.
Highest recorded here: Ada #34 in 2023, Alma #204 in 1978.
The order changed in 2006: Ada moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #443 and #443; by 2006 that had become #550 and #764.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ada #45, Alma #226.
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 | Ada | Alma |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A short form of Germanic names beginning with 'adal' meaning 'noble', such as Adelaide or Adelina. Notably borne by Ada Lovelace, who assisted Charles Babbage with early computer development. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Germanic | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈeɪ.də/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #18 (2025) | Norway · Girls #8 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ada has a recorded origin (Germanic); Alma does not have one recorded yet.
- Ada and Alma both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ada; Alma doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Ada
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #229 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: #6 among girls in Norway, in 2019 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #18 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Alma
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #293 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 2023 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #8 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls