Ada vs Gunnlaug
Ada and Gunnlaugcompared 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 1972, Ada was ranked #540 and Gunnlaug #599 among girls in Norway.
Ada and Gunnlaug over time
Ada and Gunnlaug appear together in 1 published list, across 20 years of shared records. Ada held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Gunnlaug 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.
Gunnlaug 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 Gunnlaug changed places 7 times in Norway · Girls between 1945 and 1972, ending at #540 and #599.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Girls within 2 years — Ada #182 in 1947, Gunnlaug #181 in 1946.
List by list
Norway · Girls20 shared years, 1945–1972
Ada held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Gunnlaug in 7.
Highest recorded here: Ada #182 in 1947, Gunnlaug #181 in 1946.
The order changed in 1972: Ada moved ahead. In 1971 they stood at #554 and #479; by 1972 that had become #540 and #599.
Most recent shared year, 1972: Ada #540, Gunnlaug #599.
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 | Gunnlaug |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #18 (2025) | Norway · Girls #599 (1972) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ada has a recorded origin (Germanic); Gunnlaug does not have one recorded yet.
- Ada and Gunnlaug both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ada; Gunnlaug doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in 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
Gunnlaug
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #186 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–1972
Highest recorded position: #181 among girls in Norway, in 1946 (recorded 1945–1972).
Norway · Girls
Most recent1972
Most recently recorded at #599 among girls in Norway, in 1972.
Norway · Girls