Ada vs Madelene
Ada and Madelenecompared 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 2013, Ada was ranked #52 and Madelene #582 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2010, Ada was ranked #499 and Madelene #5707 among girls in England and Wales.
Ada and Madelene over time
Ada and Madelene appear together in 2 published lists, across 39 years of shared records. Ada held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Madelene in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Madelene reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 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.
List by list
Norway · Girls28 shared years, 1985–2013
Ada held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Madelene in 1.
Highest recorded here: Ada #51 in 2012, Madelene #264 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2013: Ada #52, Madelene #582.
England and Wales · Girls11 shared years, 1997–2010
Ada held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Madelene in 1.
Highest recorded here: Ada #499 in 2010, Madelene #2023 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2010: Ada #499, Madelene #5707.
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 | Madelene |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 4 |
| 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) | Norway · Girls #582 (2013) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ada has a recorded origin (Germanic); Madelene does not have one recorded yet.
- Ada has 2 syllables, compared with 4 for Madelene.
- A meaning is recorded for Ada; Madelene 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
Madelene
Popularity journey
First recorded1985
First recorded at #570 among girls in Norway in 1985 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1985–2013
Highest recorded position: #264 among girls in Norway, in 1999 (recorded 1985–2013).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2013
Most recently recorded at #582 among girls in Norway, in 2013.
Norway · Girls