girl's name
Ada
AY-da
- Origin Germanic
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 3
- Popularity Top 100 (E&W)
- Births on record 123,292
the United States
#220
2025 births
Ada is a girl's name with two origins. In Germanic it is a short form of names beginning with adal, noble; in Hebrew, Adah means "adornment" and belongs to two women in Genesis. Both are genuine and neither derives from the other.
- Ada is a name of Germanic origin.
- Peaked in US records in 1918, when 1,950 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival in US records.
- Today about 1 in 520 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Ada over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. Ada is more popular in England and Wales — see the country table below. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 8,451 |
| 1890s | 10,422 |
| 1900s | 9,129 |
| 1910s | 15,286 |
| 1920s | 15,212 |
| 1930s | 8,521 |
| 1940s | 5,890 |
| 1950s | 4,306 |
| 1960s | 2,874 |
| 1970s | 1,929 |
| 1980s | 1,617 |
| 1990s | 1,600 |
| 2000s | 3,407 |
| 2010s | 9,044 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 9,495 |
What Ada means
Ada means noble in its Germanic reading, as a shortening of names like Adelaide and Adelheid. In its Hebrew reading it means ornament or adornment, from adah, to adorn.
Where Ada comes from
The Germanic Ada is a hypocorism — a short form — of any name beginning adal, noble, which covers Adelaide, Adeline and Adelheid. The Hebrew Adah is independent: it appears in Genesis as the name of Lamech's wife and of one of Esau's, from a root meaning to adorn. The two reached English separately and are indistinguishable in spelling. The name's best-known bearer is Ada Lovelace, born 1815, whose notes on Babbage's Analytical Engine contain what is generally regarded as the first published algorithm intended for a machine.
Ada in use
Our data marks Ada as reviving: it peaked in 1918, fell away for most of the century, and has returned to 41 in England and Wales against 220 in the United States. The Ada programming language, named for Lovelace in 1980, is one of very few languages named after a person.
How popular is Ada?
In 2025, Ada was given to 1,014 babies in England and Wales, ranking #41 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Where Ada is used
England and Wales figures withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year. The historical chart above uses US records, the only series running back to 1880. Data & sources.
How Ada is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Adá | Adá is a rare spelling of Ada, written with a fada and recorded 3 times, mostly in Ireland. | 3 |
Names that peaked alongside Ada
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Ada also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Ada over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Ada
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Ada in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Ada
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Ada — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Ada
What does the name Ada mean?
"Noble" in its Germanic reading, as a short form of Adelaide. "Adornment" in its Hebrew one, from Adah.
Is Ada short for Adelaide?
It can be. Ada shortens any Germanic name beginning with adal, noble — but the Hebrew Adah is a separate name that reached the same spelling.
Who was Ada Lovelace?
A mathematician born in 1815 whose notes on Babbage's Analytical Engine contain what is regarded as the first published algorithm for a machine.
How popular is the name Ada?
In 2025, Ada was given to 1,014 babies in England and Wales, ranking #41 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Is Ada a girl's or a boy's name?
Ada is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Ada?
Ada has 2 syllables.
When was Ada most popular?
Ada peaked in 1918, when 1,950 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
What are the nicknames for Ada?
Ada is usually shortened to Addie.
Is Ada a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Ada currently ranks #41 in the United States. After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.