Ada vs Edna
Ada and Ednacompared 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ada was ranked #40 and Edna #3015 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2002, Ada was ranked #120 and Edna #603 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 1974, Ada was ranked #428 and Edna #490 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Ada and Edna over time
Ada and Edna appear together in 2 published lists, across 38 years of shared records. Ada held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Edna in 0.
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.
Edna 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.
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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Ada and Edna changed places 4 times in Norway · Girls between 1945 and 2002, ending at #120 and #603.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Ada #36 in 2022, Edna #1948 in 2022.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls20 shared years, 1996–2024
Ada held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Edna in 1.
Highest recorded here: Ada #36 in 2022, Edna #1948 in 2022.
The order changed in 2001: Ada moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #2683 and #2350; by 2001 that had become #1520 and #3262.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ada #40, Edna #3015.
Norway · Girls18 shared years, 1945–2002
Ada held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Edna in 2.
Highest recorded here: Ada #120 in 2002, Edna #224 in 1946.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2002: Ada #120, Edna #603.
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 | Edna |
|---|---|---|
| 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, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #18 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #3015 (2024) |
| 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); Edna does not have one recorded yet.
- Ada and Edna both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ada; Edna doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, 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
Edna
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #298 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2002
Highest recorded position: #224 among girls in Norway, in 1946 (recorded 1945–2002).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #3015 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls