Ada vs Sidney
Ada and Sidneycompared 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ada was ranked #40 and Sidney #1128 among girls in England and Wales.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2021, Ada was ranked #4789 and Sidney #168 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2004, Ada was ranked #511 and Sidney #677 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Ada and Sidney over time
Ada and Sidney appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Ada held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Sidney 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.
Ada reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Sidney 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 Sidney changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #40 and #1128.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Ada #36 in 2022, Sidney #906 in 2023.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ada held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Sidney in 6.
Highest recorded here: Ada #36 in 2022, Sidney #906 in 2023.
The order changed in 2005: Ada moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #1617 and #1617; by 2005 that had become #951 and #1589.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ada #40, Sidney #1128.
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 | Sidney |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | male |
| 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, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #18 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #220 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ada has a recorded origin (Germanic); Sidney does not have one recorded yet.
- Ada and Sidney both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ada; Sidney doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, 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 #18 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Sidney
Popularity journey
First recorded1973
First recorded at #290 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1973 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #168 among boys in England and Wales, in 2021 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1128 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls