Ada
Short form of Germanic names beginning with adal (“noble”), such as Adelaide.
Every Ada since 1880 — 107,183 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Ada
Ada is moderately common for girls in the United States, ranked #219 in 2025 with 1,401 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 107,183 American babies have been named Ada. Its peak came in 1918, when 1,950 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1910s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Ada stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Ada year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,401 | #219 | — | — |
| 2024 | 1,575 | #191 | — | — |
| 2023 | 1,652 | #179 | — | — |
| 2022 | 1,657 | #181 | — | — |
| 2021 | 1,650 | #180 | — | — |
| 2020 | 1,560 | #185 | — | — |
| 2019 | 1,467 | #208 | — | — |
| 2018 | 1,302 | #251 | — | — |
| 2017 | 1,020 | #319 | — | — |
| 2016 | 968 | #345 | — | — |
| 2015 | 922 | #355 | — | — |
| 2014 | 871 | #374 | — | — |
| 2013 | 703 | #435 | — | — |
| 2012 | 634 | #484 | — | — |
| 2011 | 606 | #489 | — | — |
| 2010 | 544 | #538 | 7 | #9,705 |
| 2009 | 537 | #570 | — | — |
| 2008 | 529 | #585 | — | — |
| 2007 | 466 | #638 | — | — |
| 2006 | 404 | #704 | 6 | #10,679 |
| 2005 | 329 | #789 | — | — |
| 2004 | 306 | #820 | 6 | #9,964 |
| 2003 | 220 | #1,038 | — | — |
| 2002 | 214 | #1,014 | — | — |
| 2001 | 193 | #1,096 | — | — |
| 2000 | 197 | #1,053 | — | — |
| 1995 | 150 | #1,156 | — | — |
| 1990 | 177 | #1,024 | — | — |
| 1985 | 165 | #945 | 5 | #6,531 |
| 1980 | 166 | #909 | — | — |
| 1975 | 186 | #761 | 5 | #5,470 |
| 1970 | 238 | #668 | — | — |
| 1965 | 268 | #583 | — | — |
| 1960 | 351 | #514 | — | — |
| 1955 | 433 | #423 | — | — |
| 1950 | 471 | #369 | — | — |
| 1945 | 527 | #301 | — | — |
| 1940 | 665 | #246 | — | — |
| 1935 | 798 | #214 | 7 | #2,954 |
| 1930 | 1,040 | #185 | — | — |
| 1925 | 1,500 | #161 | 7 | #3,412 |
| 1920 | 1,823 | #136 | 6 | #3,816 |
| 1915 | 1,817 | #114 | 9 | #2,621 |
| 1910 | 960 | #94 | — | — |
| 1905 | 873 | #80 | — | — |
| 1900 | 1,101 | #72 | — | — |
| 1895 | 1,124 | #58 | 9 | #739 |
| 1890 | 1,074 | #51 | — | — |
| 1885 | 876 | #43 | 5 | #936 |
| 1880 | 652 | #33 | — | — |
Famous people named Ada
- Ada Lovelace Mathematician · 1815–1852
- Ada Yonath Biologist · b. 1939
- Ada of Caria Politician · -400–-326
- Ada, Countess of Holland Politician · 1188–1223
- Ada Negri Writer · 1870–1945
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Ada mean?
Short form of Germanic names beginning with adal (“noble”), such as Adelaide.
How popular is the name Ada in 2025?
Ada ranked #219 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 1,401 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Ada?
107,183 babies have been named Ada in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Ada most popular?
Ada peaked in 1918, when 1,950 newborns received the name.
Is Ada a boy or girl name?
Ada is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Ada rising or falling?
Ada is on the rise — noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Ada?
Well-known people named Ada include Ada Lovelace (mathematician), Ada Yonath (biologist), Ada of Caria (politician).