Ada vs Esmee
Ada and Esmeecompared 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 Esmee #826 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ada was ranked #44 and Esmee #476 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ada was ranked #47 and Esmee #337 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2017, Ada was ranked #137 and Esmee #524 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Ada and Esmee over time
Ada and Esmee appear together in 2 published lists, across 38 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Esmee reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2016, Ada moved ahead of Esmee in England and Wales · Girls — #187 and #185 the year before became #164 and #232.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Ada and Esmee changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #40 and #826.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ada held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Esmee in 17.
Highest recorded here: Ada #36 in 2022, Esmee #185 in 2015.
The order changed in 2016: Ada moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #187 and #185; by 2016 that had become #164 and #232.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ada #40, Esmee #826.
Northern Ireland · Girls9 shared years, 2015–2024
Ada held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Esmee in 1.
Highest recorded here: Ada #37 in 2022, Esmee #209 in 2015.
The order changed in 2016: Ada moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #358 and #209; by 2016 that had become #137 and #251.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ada #47, Esmee #337.
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 | Esmee |
|---|---|---|
| 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-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #18 (2025) | Northern Ireland · Girls #337 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ada has a recorded origin (Germanic); Esmee does not have one recorded yet.
- Ada and Esmee both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ada; Esmee doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, 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
Esmee
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #974 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #185 among girls in England and Wales, in 2015 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #826 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls