Ada vs Cleo
Ada and Cleocompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Ada was ranked #35 and Cleo #209 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ada was ranked #40 and Cleo #129 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ada was ranked #44 and Cleo #230 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ada was ranked #45 and Cleo #273 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Ada was ranked #78 and Cleo #82 among girls in New Zealand.
Ada and Cleo over time
Ada and Cleo appear together in 2 published lists, across 50 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in one 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, and Cleo 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.
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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Ada #36 in 2022, Cleo #129 in 2024.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ada held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Cleo in 15.
Highest recorded here: Ada #36 in 2022, Cleo #129 in 2024.
The order changed in 2011: Ada moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #499 and #452; by 2011 that had become #386 and #486.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ada #40, Cleo #129.
Republic of Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 1974–2025
Ada held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Cleo in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ada #34 in 2023, Cleo #209 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ada #45, Cleo #273.
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 | Cleo |
|---|---|---|
| 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/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #18 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #273 (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); Cleo does not have one recorded yet.
- Ada has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Cleo.
- A meaning is recorded for Ada; Cleo doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
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
Cleo
Popularity journey
First recorded1974
First recorded at #490 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1974 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2021–2023
Highest recorded position: #82 among girls in New Zealand, in 2023 (recorded 2021–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #273 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls