Ada vs Irena
Ada and Irenacompared 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 2023, Ada was ranked #37 and Irena #2689 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 1990, Ada was ranked #403 and Irena #656 among girls in Norway.
Ada and Irena over time
Ada and Irena appear together in 2 published lists, across 51 years of shared records. Ada held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Irena in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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 Irena changed places 10 times in Norway · Girls between 1947 and 1990, ending at #403 and #656.
- Longest-running competitions
Ada and Irena were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 33 years, from 1947 to 1990, ending at #403 and #656.
List by list
Norway · Girls33 shared years, 1947–1990
Ada held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Irena in 13.
Highest recorded here: Ada #182 in 1947, Irena #256 in 1952.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1990: Ada #403, Irena #656.
England and Wales · Girls18 shared years, 2000–2023
Ada held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Irena in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ada #36 in 2022, Irena #2416 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ada #37, Irena #2689.
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 | Irena |
|---|---|---|
| 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, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #18 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #2689 (2023) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ada has a recorded origin (Germanic); Irena does not have one recorded yet.
- Ada has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Irena.
- A meaning is recorded for Ada; Irena doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, 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
Irena
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #352 among girls in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1947–1990
Highest recorded position: #256 among girls in Norway, in 1952 (recorded 1947–1990).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #2689 among girls in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Girls