Ada vs Heidi
Ada and Heidicompared 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 2025, Ada was ranked #18 and Heidi #437 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ada was ranked #40 and Heidi #107 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ada was ranked #44 and Heidi #95 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ada was ranked #45 and Heidi #91 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ada was ranked #47 and Heidi #65 among girls in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2022, Ada was ranked #57 and Heidi #99 among girls in New Zealand.
Ada and Heidi over time
Ada and Heidi appear together in 4 published lists, across 143 years of shared records. Heidi held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Ada in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Heidi reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 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 took the other's place near the top
In Northern Ireland · Girls, Ada moved into the top 50 at #37 in 2022 as Heidi fell out of it to #73, having been #48 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2018, Ada moved ahead of Heidi in England and Wales · Girls — #114 and #84 the year before became #65 and #86.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Ada and Heidi changed places 5 times in Norway · Girls between 1945 and 2025, ending at #18 and #437.
- Mirrored each other
Over 74 shared years in Norway · Girls, Ada rose about as far as Heidi fell — from #229 and #188 in 1945 to #18 and #437 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Ada and Heidi were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 74 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #18 and #437.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Ada #35 in 2023, Heidi #48 in 2021.
List by list
Norway · Girls74 shared years, 1945–2025
Ada held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Heidi in 47.
Highest recorded here: Ada #6 in 2019, Heidi #2 in 1965.
The order changed in 2001: Ada moved ahead. In 2000 they stood at #157 and #109; by 2001 that had become #120 and #138.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ada #18, Heidi #437.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ada held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Heidi in 22.
Highest recorded here: Ada #36 in 2022, Heidi #76 in 2016.
The order changed in 2018: Ada moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #114 and #84; by 2018 that had become #65 and #86.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ada #40, Heidi #107.
Republic of Ireland · Girls29 shared years, 1973–2025
Ada held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Heidi in 18.
Highest recorded here: Ada #34 in 2023, Heidi #74 in 2019.
The order changed in 2018: Ada moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #137 and #82; by 2018 that had become #70 and #94.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ada #45, Heidi #91.
Northern Ireland · Girls11 shared years, 2013–2024
Ada held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Heidi in 8.
Highest recorded here: Ada #35 in 2023, Heidi #48 in 2021.
The order changed in 2022: Ada moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #55 and #48; by 2022 that had become #37 and #73.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ada #47, Heidi #65.
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 | Heidi |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| 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. | A German diminutive of Adelheid. Gained wide recognition through Johanna Spyri's 1880 children's novel Heidi, and its 1937 film adaptation starring Shirley Temple. |
| Origin | Germanic | Germanic, diminutive of Adelheid |
| Pronunciation | /ˈeɪ.də/ | /ˈhaɪ̯.di/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #18 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #91 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| 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 is recorded with a Germanic origin, while Heidi is recorded with a Germanic, diminutive of Adelheid origin.
- Ada and Heidi both have 2 syllables.
- Ada's recorded meaning differs from Heidi's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
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
Heidi
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #188 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: #2 among girls in Norway, in 1965 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #437 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls