Ada vs Mai
Ada and Maicompared 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 Mai #443 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ada was ranked #40 and Mai #1743 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ada was ranked #45 and Mai #608 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Ada and Mai over time
Ada and Mai appear together in 3 published lists, across 121 years of shared records. Ada held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Mai in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Mai 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 Mai changed places 7 times in Norway · Girls between 1945 and 2025, ending at #18 and #443.
- Mirrored each other
Over 68 shared years in Norway · Girls, Ada rose about as far as Mai fell — from #229 and #182 in 1945 to #18 and #443 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Ada and Mai were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 68 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #18 and #443.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Ada #34 in 2023, Mai #270 in 2021.
List by list
Norway · Girls68 shared years, 1945–2025
Ada held the stronger position in 31 of those years, Mai in 37.
Highest recorded here: Ada #6 in 2019, Mai #94 in 1961.
The order changed in 1992: Ada moved ahead. In 1991 they stood at #421 and #363; by 1992 that had become #259 and #442.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ada #18, Mai #443.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ada held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Mai in 9.
Highest recorded here: Ada #36 in 2022, Mai #845 in 2008.
The order changed in 2008: Ada moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #919 and #866; by 2008 that had become #699 and #845.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ada #40, Mai #1743.
Republic of Ireland · Girls24 shared years, 2001–2025
Ada held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Mai in 4.
Highest recorded here: Ada #34 in 2023, Mai #270 in 2021.
The order changed in 2011: Ada moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #444 and #377; by 2011 that had become #437 and #510.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ada #45, Mai #608.
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 | Mai |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 |
| 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 #443 (2025) |
| 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); Mai does not have one recorded yet.
- Ada has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Mai.
- A meaning is recorded for Ada; Mai 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
Mai
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #182 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: #94 among girls in Norway, in 1961 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #443 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls