Ada vs Selma
Ada and Selmacompared 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 Selma #11 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ada was ranked #40 and Selma #2000 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2015, Ada was ranked #180 and Selma #896 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Ada and Selma over time
Ada and Selma appear together in 2 published lists, across 92 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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 2024, Selma moved ahead of Ada in Norway · Girls — #6 and #8 the year before became #16 and #5.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Ada and Selma changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #40 and #2000.
- Longest-running competitions
Ada and Selma were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 64 years, from 1945 to 2025, ending at #18 and #11.
List by list
Norway · Girls64 shared years, 1945–2025
Ada held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Selma in 39.
Highest recorded here: Ada #6 in 2019, Selma #5 in 2024.
The order changed in 2024: Selma moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #6 and #8; by 2024 that had become #16 and #5.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ada #18, Selma #11.
England and Wales · Girls28 shared years, 1996–2024
Ada held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Selma in 2.
Highest recorded here: Ada #36 in 2022, Selma #1082 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ada #40, Selma #2000.
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 | Selma |
|---|---|---|
| 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/ | |
| 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 #11 (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); Selma does not have one recorded yet.
- Ada and Selma both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ada; Selma 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
Selma
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #352 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: #5 among girls in Norway, in 2024 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls