Ada vs Tanja
Ada and Tanjacompared 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 2012, Ada was ranked #51 and Tanja #605 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2000, Ada was ranked #1831 and Tanja #3247 among girls in England and Wales.
Ada and Tanja over time
Ada and Tanja appear together in 1 published list, across 41 years of shared records. Tanja held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Ada in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Tanja 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.
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 Tanja changed places 6 times in Norway · Girls between 1952 and 2012, ending at #51 and #605.
- Mirrored each other
Over 41 shared years in Norway · Girls, Ada rose about as far as Tanja fell — from #217 and #397 in 1952 to #51 and #605 in 2012.
- Longest-running competitions
Ada and Tanja were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 41 years, from 1952 to 2012, ending at #51 and #605.
List by list
Norway · Girls41 shared years, 1952–2012
Ada held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Tanja in 25.
Highest recorded here: Ada #51 in 2012, Tanja #60 in 1972.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2012: Ada #51, Tanja #605.
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 | Tanja |
|---|---|---|
| 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 #605 (2012) |
| 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); Tanja does not have one recorded yet.
- Ada and Tanja both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ada; Tanja 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
Tanja
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #397 among girls in Norway in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1952–2012
Highest recorded position: #60 among girls in Norway, in 1972 (recorded 1952–2012).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2012
Most recently recorded at #605 among girls in Norway, in 2012.
Norway · Girls