Ada vs Cathrin
Ada and Cathrincompared 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 1995, Ada was ranked #195 and Cathrin #622 among girls in Norway.
Ada and Cathrin over time
Ada and Cathrin appear together in 1 published list, across 26 years of shared records. Cathrin held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Ada in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Cathrin reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Ada in none. 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.
List by list
Norway · Girls26 shared years, 1963–1995
Ada held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Cathrin in 15.
Highest recorded here: Ada #195 in 1995, Cathrin #229 in 1971.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1995: Ada #195, Cathrin #622.
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 | Cathrin |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #18 (2025) | Norway · Girls #622 (1995) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ada has a recorded origin (Germanic); Cathrin does not have one recorded yet.
- Ada and Cathrin both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ada; Cathrin doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in 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
Cathrin
Popularity journey
First recorded1963
First recorded at #386 among girls in Norway in 1963 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1963–1995
Highest recorded position: #229 among girls in Norway, in 1971 (recorded 1963–1995).
Norway · Girls
Most recent1995
Most recently recorded at #622 among girls in Norway, in 1995.
Norway · Girls