Ada vs Sile
Ada and Silecompared 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 2016, Ada was ranked #166 and Sile #661 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Ada and Sile over time
Ada and Sile appear together in 1 published list, across 17 years of shared records. Ada held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Sile 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.
Sile reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 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.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls17 shared years, 1964–2016
Ada held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Sile in 5.
Highest recorded here: Ada #166 in 2016, Sile #266 in 1978.
The order changed in 2006: Ada moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #511 and #511; by 2006 that had become #550 and #635.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Ada #166, Sile #661.
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 | Sile |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #18 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #661 (2016) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 40/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ada has a recorded origin (Germanic); Sile does not have one recorded yet.
- Ada and Sile both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ada; Sile doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in 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
Sile
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #372 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2016
Highest recorded position: #195 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1981 (recorded 1964–2016).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2016
Most recently recorded at #661 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2016.
Republic of Ireland · Girls