Ada vs Lilian
Ada and Liliancompared 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 Lilian #500 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Ada was ranked #34 and Lilian #555 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ada was ranked #40 and Lilian #558 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Ada was ranked #44 and Lilian #638 among girls in Scotland.
Ada and Lilian over time
Ada and Lilian appear together in 3 published lists, across 80 years of shared records. Ada held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Lilian in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Lilian reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 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 Lilian changed places 4 times in Norway · Girls between 1946 and 2024, ending at #16 and #500.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ada held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Lilian in 15.
Highest recorded here: Ada #36 in 2022, Lilian #451 in 2007.
The order changed in 2011: Ada moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #499 and #463; by 2011 that had become #386 and #569.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ada #40, Lilian #558.
Norway · Girls29 shared years, 1946–2024
Ada held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Lilian in 3.
Highest recorded here: Ada #6 in 2023, Lilian #262 in 1948.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ada #16, Lilian #500.
Republic of Ireland · Girls22 shared years, 1964–2023
Ada held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Lilian in 8.
Highest recorded here: Ada #34 in 2023, Lilian #194 in 1964.
The order changed in 2012: Ada moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #437 and #437; by 2012 that had become #371 and #435.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ada #34, Lilian #555.
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 | Lilian |
|---|---|---|
| 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, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #18 (2025) | Norway · Girls #500 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ada has a recorded origin (Germanic); Lilian does not have one recorded yet.
- Ada and Lilian both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ada; Lilian doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT, 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
Lilian
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #334 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2023
Highest recorded position: #194 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2023).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #558 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls