Ada vs Gerda
Ada and Gerdacompared 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 2017, Ada was ranked #24 and Gerda #530 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2016, Ada was ranked #164 and Gerda #4763 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2014, Ada was ranked #242 and Gerda #752 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Ada and Gerda over time
Ada and Gerda appear together in 2 published lists, across 41 years of shared records. Ada held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Gerda 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.
Gerda 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Ada and Gerda changed places 5 times in Norway · Girls between 1945 and 2017, ending at #24 and #530.
List by list
Norway · Girls28 shared years, 1945–2017
Ada held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Gerda in 3.
Highest recorded here: Ada #24 in 2017, Gerda #212 in 1945.
The order changed in 1991: Ada moved ahead. In 1990 they stood at #560 and #483; by 1991 that had become #421 and #645.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Ada #24, Gerda #530.
England and Wales · Girls13 shared years, 1998–2016
Ada held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Gerda in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ada #164 in 2016, Gerda #3116 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Ada #164, Gerda #4763.
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 | Gerda |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | Norway · Girls #530 (2017) |
| 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); Gerda does not have one recorded yet.
- Ada and Gerda both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ada; Gerda 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
Gerda
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #212 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2017
Highest recorded position: #212 among girls in Norway, in 1945 (recorded 1945–2017).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2017
Most recently recorded at #530 among girls in Norway, in 2017.
Norway · Girls