Ada vs Ella-May
Ada and Ella-Maycompared 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 Ella-May #1672 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2017, Ada was ranked #137 and Ella-May #873 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2015, Ada was ranked #358 and Ella-May #358 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Ada and Ella-May over time
Ada and Ella-May appear together in 1 published list, across 28 years of shared records. Ada held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Ella-May in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Ella-May 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 Ella-May changed places 6 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1997 and 2024, ending at #40 and #1672.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls28 shared years, 1997–2024
Ada held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Ella-May in 4.
Highest recorded here: Ada #36 in 2022, Ella-May #652 in 2011.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ada #40, Ella-May #1672.
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 | Ella-May |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #18 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #1672 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ada has a recorded origin (Germanic); Ella-May does not have one recorded yet.
- Ada has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Ella-May.
- A meaning is recorded for Ada; Ella-May doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
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
Ella-May
Popularity journey
First recorded1997
First recorded at #2411 among girls in England and Wales in 1997 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded2009–2015
Highest recorded position: #358 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2015 (recorded 2009–2015).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1672 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls