Girl name · Germanic
Ada
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: nobleAda is a girl's name that comes from Germanic and means "noble". It is used in English, German, French and Italian.
- Meaning
- Noble
- Origin
- Germanic
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #219 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Ada
As a girl's name, Ada comes from Germanic and means "noble". It is used in English, German, French and Italian.
In French, say ah-DAH. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Ada on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Ada on 8 lists.
“Honors Lovelace, who wrote what is often called the first program”
From Nicknames for ChatGPT, nerdy and techy nicknames for ChatGPT
“Noble; Germanic. Say ah-DAH”
From French girl names, short French girl names
“After the pioneer often called the first computer programmer”
From Octopus names, smart octopus names
“For a clever cat, after Lovelace, the Victorian computing pioneer”
From Female cat names, vintage girl cat names
“Noble; Germanic. Say AH-dah”
From Italian girl names, short Italian girl names
“Noble; Germanic. Shared with computing pioneer Lovelace”
From Strong female names, strong names worn by trailblazing women
“Honors Lovelace, often called the first computer programmer”
From Unique dog names, names from history and adventure
“Noble; Germanic. Short, sweet and back in fashion”
From Vintage girl names, victorian girl names
How popular is Ada?
- US rank in 2025
- #219
- 1,401 babies, 872 per million girls
- Best rank
- #33 in 1880
- Most babies: 1,943 in 1918
- Babies since 1880
- At least 106,905
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 6,417 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 4,672 per million |
| 1900s | 3,116 per million |
| 1910s | 1,868 per million |
| 1920s | 1,266 per million |
| 1930s | 796 per million |
| 1940s | 406 per million |
| 1950s | 224 per million |
| 1960s | 157 per million |
| 1970s | 125 per million |
| 1980s | 94 per million |
| 1990s | 89 per million |
| 2000s | 184 per million |
| 2010s | 516 per million |
| 2020s | 976 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #345 | #319 | #251 | #208 | #185 | #180 | #181 | #179 | #191 | #219 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Ada
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- AddieNoble (Germanic, girl)
- AdelaNoble (Germanic, girl)
- AdeliaNoble (Germanic, girl)
- AlidaNoble (Germanic, girl)
- DellaNoble (Germanic, girl)
Names spelled like Ada
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- AnaFavor, grace (Hebrew, girl)
- AdahAdornment (Hebrew, girl)
- AvaVariant of Eve, life; in Persian, voice (Hebrew, girl)
- AdiJewel, ornament (Hebrew, unisex)
- AdvaSmall ripple (Hebrew, girl)
- AldaWave (Icelandic, girl)
- AmaBorn on Saturday (Akan, girl)
- AraElegant silk (depends on hanja) (Korean, girl)
- ÅsaGod (Old Norse, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- AliceNobility, of noble kind (Germanic, girl)
- AdeleNoble one (Germanic, girl)
- AlbertNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertoNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- AdelaideNoble kind (Germanic, girl)
- AdelinaNoble one (Germanic, girl)
- AdelineNoble one (Germanic, girl)
- AlfonsoNoble and ready (Gothic, boy)
- AlisonNoble kind (Germanic, girl)
- AryaNoble, honorable (Sanskrit, unisex)
Middle names for Ada
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- FenellaWhite shoulder (Scottish Gaelic, girl)
- HazelHazel tree (Old English, girl)
- LouisaFamous warrior (Germanic, girl)
- MercyCompassion, forgiveness (Latin, girl)
- PearlPrecious gem from the sea (Latin, girl)
- PrudenceForesight, good sense (Latin, girl)
- SabineSabine woman (Latin, girl)
- SoleilSun (French, girl)
More girl names from Germanic
- EmmaWhole, universal (Germanic, girl)
- AlinaShort form of Adelina, Albina and names ending in -alina (Germanic, girl)
- CharlotteFree man, feminine of Charles (Germanic, girl)
- LouiseFamous warrior (Germanic, girl)
- AmeliaPossibly vigorous, brave (Germanic, girl)
- BertaBright, famous (Germanic, girl)
- CarlaFree man, feminine of Charles (Germanic, girl)
- CarolineFree man, feminine of Charles (Germanic, girl)
- HildaBattle, combat (Germanic, girl)
- MatildaStrength in battle (Germanic, girl)
Ada: common questions
What does the name Ada mean?
Ada comes from Germanic and means "noble".
Is Ada a boy or girl name?
Ada is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Ada come from?
Ada comes from Germanic and means "noble". Today it is used in English, German, French and Italian.
How popular is the name Ada?
Ada ranked #219 in the US in 2025, with 1,401 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Ada?
Forms of Ada with the same meaning and origin include Addie (English), Adela (Spanish), Adelia (English), Alida (Dutch) and Della (English).
What middle names go with Ada?
Middle names that flow well with Ada include Fenella, Hazel, Louisa, Mercy and Pearl. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.