Ada vs Petra
Ada and Petracompared 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 Petra #120 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Ada was ranked #34 and Petra #625 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ada was ranked #40 and Petra #1097 among girls in England and Wales.
Ada and Petra over time
Ada and Petra appear together in 3 published lists, across 117 years of shared records. Ada held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Petra in 0.
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.
Petra reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Ada in 1. 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 Petra changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #40 and #1097.
- Longest-running competitions
Ada and Petra were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 73 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #18 and #120.
List by list
Norway · Girls73 shared years, 1945–2025
Ada held the stronger position in 50 of those years, Petra in 23.
Highest recorded here: Ada #6 in 2019, Petra #120 in 2025.
The order changed in 1987: Ada moved ahead. In 1986 they stood at #380 and #376; by 1987 that had become #444 and #463.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ada #18, Petra #120.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ada held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Petra in 5.
Highest recorded here: Ada #36 in 2022, Petra #897 in 2019.
The order changed in 2004: Ada moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #1628 and #1325; by 2004 that had become #1617 and #1715.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ada #40, Petra #1097.
Republic of Ireland · Girls15 shared years, 1964–2023
Ada held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Petra in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ada #34 in 2023, Petra #315 in 1967.
The order changed in 2003: Ada moved ahead. In 2002 they stood at #523 and #523; by 2003 that had become #439 and #655.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Ada #34, Petra #625.
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 | Petra |
|---|---|---|
| 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 #120 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ada has a recorded origin (Germanic); Petra does not have one recorded yet.
- Ada and Petra both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ada; Petra 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
Petra
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #193 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: #120 among girls in Norway, in 2025 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #120 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls