Ada vs Thelma
Ada and Thelmacompared 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 Thelma #168 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ada was ranked #40 and Thelma #4192 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 1982, Ada was ranked #523 and Thelma #523 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Ada and Thelma over time
Ada and Thelma appear together in 2 published lists, across 50 years of shared records. Ada held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Thelma in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
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.
List by list
Norway · Girls28 shared years, 1945–2025
Ada held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Thelma in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ada #6 in 2019, Thelma #134 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ada #18, Thelma #168.
England and Wales · Girls22 shared years, 1998–2024
Ada held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Thelma in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ada #36 in 2022, Thelma #2320 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ada #40, Thelma #4192.
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 | Thelma |
|---|---|---|
| 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 #168 (2025) |
| 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); Thelma does not have one recorded yet.
- Ada and Thelma both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ada; Thelma 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
Thelma
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #365 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: #134 among girls in Norway, in 2022 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #168 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls