Fun Facts About the Name Ada
- An established favorite: Ada held a place in the U.S. top 100 for 33 consecutive years, from 1880 through 1912.
- More than 107 thousand babies named Ada: U.S. records list 107,154 babies given the name Ada from 1880 through 2025. Even 278 boys received the name Ada - about 1 boy for every 384 girls.
What Does the Name Ada Mean?
Ada is a feminine given name with several independent origins. In English, it is most often a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element adal, meaning 'noble,' such as Adelaide and Adela; in that derivation it means 'noble' or 'of noble kind.' It is also a variant of the biblical Hebrew name Adah (עָדָה), which means 'ornament' or 'adornment.' In Turkish, ada is the ordinary word for 'island' and is used as a given name. In Igbo, ada means 'daughter,' often with the sense of a first daughter. These origins are distinct; the shared spelling does not prove a common source.
Ada Name History & Origins
The Germanic element adal appears in medieval names across western Europe, including Adalheidis (Adelaide) and Adela. Ada developed as a short form of such names and is found in medieval English and Scottish records; for example, Ada of Huntingdon was Countess of Holland in the twelfth century. The Hebrew name Adah appears in the Book of Genesis as a wife of Lamech, and the spelling Ada has been used as an English form of that biblical name. In the nineteenth century, Ada was a known English given name; Augusta Ada Byron, Countess of Lovelace (1815 - 1852), daughter of Lord Byron, is a notable bearer, remembered for her work on Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine. The ancient Greek name Ada (Ἄδα) belonged to a fourth-century BC queen of Caria, but that name is of uncertain origin and is not necessarily related to the later European name. Turkish and Igbo Ada are independent names with separate histories.
How Popular is the Name Ada?
Ada remained among the top 100 girl names in the U.S. from 1880 to 1912. Its highest annual birth count was in 1918, and people born that year turn 108 in 2026.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #219 | 1,401 | 0.0872% |
| 2024 | #193 | 1,563 | 0.0969% |
| 2023 | #178 | 1,651 | 0.1030% |
| 2022 | #181 | 1,656 | 0.1011% |
| 2021 | #180 | 1,648 | 0.1005% |
| 2020 | #185 | 1,560 | 0.0966% |
| 2019 | #208 | 1,467 | 0.0874% |
| 2018 | #251 | 1,302 | 0.0766% |
| 2017 | #320 | 1,019 | 0.0590% |
| 2016 | #345 | 968 | 0.0546% |
| 2015 | #356 | 921 | 0.0516% |
| 2014 | #374 | 871 | 0.0488% |
| 2013 | #435 | 703 | 0.0401% |
| 2012 | #484 | 634 | 0.0360% |
| 2011 | #491 | 605 | 0.0344% |
| 2010 | #539 | 543 | 0.0306% |
| 2009 | #570 | 535 | 0.0291% |
| 2008 | #585 | 529 | 0.0280% |
| 2007 | #639 | 465 | 0.0242% |
| 2006 | #704 | 404 | 0.0213% |
| 2005 | #791 | 328 | 0.0178% |
| 2004 | #820 | 305 | 0.0166% |
| 2003 | #1,042 | 219 | 0.0120% |
| 2002 | #1,014 | 214 | 0.0119% |
| 2001 | #1,101 | 192 | 0.0107% |
| 2000 | #1,059 | 196 | 0.0108% |
| 1999 | #1,086 | 184 | 0.0104% |
| 1998 | #1,242 | 146 | 0.0083% |
| 1997 | #1,242 | 143 | 0.0082% |
| 1996 | #1,245 | 140 | 0.0080% |
| 1995 | #1,157 | 150 | 0.0085% |
| 1994 | #1,147 | 155 | 0.0087% |
| 1993 | #1,250 | 138 | 0.0076% |
| 1992 | #969 | 197 | 0.0107% |
| 1991 | #1,065 | 170 | 0.0091% |
| 1990 | #1,024 | 177 | 0.0093% |
| 1989 | #1,037 | 165 | 0.0090% |
| 1988 | #1,044 | 154 | 0.0086% |
| 1987 | #997 | 157 | 0.0090% |
| 1986 | #1,032 | 146 | 0.0085% |
| 1985 | #945 | 165 | 0.0096% |
| 1984 | #940 | 156 | 0.0093% |
| 1983 | #993 | 146 | 0.0087% |
| 1982 | #893 | 170 | 0.0100% |
| 1981 | #858 | 181 | 0.0109% |
| 1980 | #908 | 166 | 0.0100% |
| 1979 | #864 | 179 | 0.0112% |
| 1978 | #778 | 197 | 0.0129% |
| 1977 | #802 | 187 | 0.0122% |
| 1976 | #826 | 168 | 0.0115% |
| 1975 | #761 | 186 | 0.0128% |
| 1974 | #818 | 164 | 0.0112% |
| 1973 | #718 | 201 | 0.0138% |
| 1972 | #702 | 206 | 0.0135% |
| 1971 | #747 | 198 | 0.0119% |
| 1970 | #667 | 238 | 0.0136% |
| 1969 | #664 | 223 | 0.0132% |
| 1968 | #604 | 254 | 0.0155% |
| 1967 | #606 | 245 | 0.0148% |
| 1966 | #607 | 244 | 0.0144% |
| 1965 | #583 | 268 | 0.0152% |
| 1964 | #554 | 318 | 0.0168% |
| 1963 | #561 | 305 | 0.0158% |
| 1962 | #546 | 322 | 0.0164% |
| 1961 | #527 | 344 | 0.0170% |
| 1960 | #514 | 351 | 0.0174% |
| 1959 | #513 | 363 | 0.0179% |
| 1958 | #499 | 371 | 0.0184% |
| 1957 | #477 | 393 | 0.0192% |
| 1956 | #465 | 397 | 0.0198% |
| 1955 | #423 | 433 | 0.0221% |
| 1954 | #409 | 444 | 0.0229% |
| 1953 | #411 | 437 | 0.0232% |
| 1952 | #375 | 482 | 0.0260% |
| 1951 | #352 | 514 | 0.0285% |
| 1950 | #369 | 471 | 0.0275% |
| 1949 | #351 | 497 | 0.0290% |
| 1948 | #338 | 533 | 0.0314% |
| 1947 | #348 | 524 | 0.0296% |
| 1946 | #316 | 547 | 0.0348% |
| 1945 | #301 | 527 | 0.0403% |
| 1944 | #290 | 547 | 0.0412% |
| 1943 | #271 | 658 | 0.0472% |
| 1942 | #258 | 709 | 0.0525% |
| 1941 | #249 | 677 | 0.0560% |
| 1940 | #246 | 665 | 0.0582% |
| 1939 | #233 | 703 | 0.0641% |
| 1938 | #224 | 745 | 0.0675% |
| 1937 | #208 | 796 | 0.0748% |
| 1936 | #217 | 750 | 0.0721% |
| 1935 | #214 | 798 | 0.0761% |
| 1934 | #213 | 833 | 0.0798% |
| 1933 | #199 | 870 | 0.0863% |
| 1932 | #186 | 984 | 0.0922% |
| 1931 | #186 | 973 | 0.0914% |
| 1930 | #185 | 1,040 | 0.0924% |
| 1929 | #178 | 1,129 | 0.1011% |
| 1928 | #171 | 1,213 | 0.1052% |
| 1927 | #165 | 1,347 | 0.1130% |
| 1926 | #161 | 1,462 | 0.1233% |
| 1925 | #161 | 1,500 | 0.1232% |
| 1924 | #159 | 1,583 | 0.1268% |
| 1923 | #153 | 1,638 | 0.1358% |
| 1922 | #148 | 1,684 | 0.1402% |
| 1921 | #145 | 1,756 | 0.1424% |
| 1920 | #136 | 1,823 | 0.1521% |
| 1919 | #129 | 1,818 | 0.1609% |
| 1918 | #123 | 1,943 | 0.1678% |
| 1917 | #119 | 1,853 | 0.1714% |
| 1916 | #117 | 1,860 | 0.1781% |
| 1915 | #114 | 1,817 | 0.1847% |
| 1914 | #106 | 1,494 | 0.1962% |
| 1913 | #104 | 1,282 | 0.2053% |
| 1912 | #96 | 1,268 | 0.2272% |
| 1911 | #97 | 939 | 0.2245% |
| 1910 | #94 | 960 | 0.2421% |
| 1909 | #88 | 945 | 0.2722% |
| 1908 | #87 | 922 | 0.2758% |
| 1907 | #83 | 906 | 0.2844% |
| 1906 | #87 | 819 | 0.2773% |
| 1905 | #80 | 873 | 0.2994% |
| 1904 | #79 | 878 | 0.3189% |
| 1903 | #78 | 843 | 0.3218% |
| 1902 | #74 | 921 | 0.3488% |
| 1901 | #66 | 913 | 0.3815% |
| 1900 | #72 | 1,101 | 0.3673% |
| 1899 | #61 | 984 | 0.4223% |
| 1898 | #66 | 1,022 | 0.3949% |
| 1897 | #66 | 956 | 0.4082% |
| 1896 | #63 | 1,041 | 0.4375% |
| 1895 | #58 | 1,124 | 0.4811% |
| 1894 | #62 | 1,018 | 0.4567% |
| 1893 | #55 | 1,051 | 0.4936% |
| 1892 | #50 | 1,134 | 0.5341% |
| 1891 | #51 | 975 | 0.5257% |
| 1890 | #51 | 1,074 | 0.5641% |
| 1889 | #51 | 1,005 | 0.5634% |
| 1888 | #46 | 1,116 | 0.6248% |
| 1887 | #45 | 910 | 0.6234% |
| 1886 | #46 | 915 | 0.6331% |
| 1885 | #43 | 876 | 0.6584% |
| 1884 | #44 | 854 | 0.6619% |
| 1883 | #44 | 778 | 0.6927% |
| 1882 | #44 | 689 | 0.6389% |
| 1881 | #41 | 628 | 0.6830% |
| 1880 | #33 | 652 | 0.7165% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #9,702 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2006 | #10,676 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2004 | #9,964 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1985 | #6,531 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1984 | #5,568 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1975 | #5,470 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1941 | #3,134 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1938 | #2,326 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1935 | #2,954 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1933 | #3,268 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1931 | #3,390 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1929 | #2,983 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1928 | #2,659 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1927 | #2,409 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1926 | #3,709 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1925 | #3,412 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1924 | #3,506 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1923 | #3,176 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1922 | #3,876 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1921 | #3,520 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1920 | #3,816 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1919 | #2,386 | 12 | 0.0012% |
| 1918 | #3,370 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1916 | #3,177 | 7 | 0.0008% |
| 1915 | #2,621 | 9 | 0.0011% |
| 1914 | #3,265 | 5 | 0.0008% |
| 1913 | #2,497 | 6 | 0.0012% |
| 1912 | #2,271 | 6 | 0.0014% |
| 1902 | #862 | 8 | 0.0065% |
| 1898 | #1,121 | 5 | 0.0041% |
| 1897 | #681 | 10 | 0.0089% |
| 1895 | #739 | 9 | 0.0077% |
| 1894 | #954 | 6 | 0.0052% |
| 1892 | #956 | 6 | 0.0049% |
| 1891 | #767 | 7 | 0.0069% |
| 1889 | #789 | 7 | 0.0063% |
| 1888 | #1,032 | 5 | 0.0041% |
| 1887 | #923 | 5 | 0.0049% |
| 1886 | #845 | 6 | 0.0054% |
| 1885 | #936 | 5 | 0.0046% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore Name Lists Featuring Ada
Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.
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How the Name Ada Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Powerful and complete. You are good intellectually and require several outlets for your energies. You are not a builder but a planner, and you want others to carry out your plans. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Ada's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Ada's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.