Ada vs Irma
Ada and Irmacompared 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 2024, Ada was ranked #16 and Irma #491 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2016, Ada was ranked #164 and Irma #5785 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 1973, Ada was ranked #508 and Irma #449 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Ada and Irma over time
Ada and Irma appear together in 1 published list, across 44 years of shared records. Ada held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Irma in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Irma 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 Irma changed places 10 times in Norway · Girls between 1946 and 2024, ending at #16 and #491.
- Longest-running competitions
Ada and Irma were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 44 years, from 1946 to 2024, ending at #16 and #491.
List by list
Norway · Girls44 shared years, 1946–2024
Ada held the stronger position in 35 of those years, Irma in 9.
Highest recorded here: Ada #6 in 2019, Irma #269 in 1986.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ada #16, Irma #491.
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 | Irma |
|---|---|---|
| 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 #491 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ada has a recorded origin (Germanic); Irma does not have one recorded yet.
- Ada and Irma both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ada; Irma 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
Irma
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #330 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1946–2024
Highest recorded position: #269 among girls in Norway, in 1986 (recorded 1946–2024).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #491 among girls in Norway, in 2024.
Norway · Girls