Ada vs Saorlaith
Ada and Saorlaithcompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ada was ranked #45 and Saorlaith #247 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Ada was ranked #47 and Saorlaith #91 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2016, Ada was ranked #164 and Saorlaith #5785 among girls in England and Wales.
Ada and Saorlaith over time
Ada and Saorlaith appear together in 2 published lists, across 29 years of shared records. Ada held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Saorlaith in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2018, Ada moved ahead of Saorlaith in Northern Ireland · Girls — #190 and #164 the year before became #92 and #108.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Ada #35 in 2023, Saorlaith #90 in 2022.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls18 shared years, 2007–2025
Ada held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Saorlaith in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ada #34 in 2023, Saorlaith #247 in 2025.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ada #45, Saorlaith #247.
Northern Ireland · Girls11 shared years, 2013–2024
Ada held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Saorlaith in 4.
Highest recorded here: Ada #35 in 2023, Saorlaith #90 in 2022.
The order changed in 2018: Ada moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #190 and #164; by 2018 that had become #92 and #108.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ada #47, Saorlaith #91.
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 | Saorlaith |
|---|---|---|
| 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-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #18 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #247 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 70/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ada has a recorded origin (Germanic); Saorlaith does not have one recorded yet.
- Ada and Saorlaith both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ada; Saorlaith doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
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 #40 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Saorlaith
Popularity journey
First recorded2002
First recorded at #339 among girls in Northern Ireland in 2002 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Northern Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2002–2024
Highest recorded position: #90 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2022 (recorded 2002–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #247 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls