Girls' name · since 1880
Ada
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 106,905 babies named Ada, peaking in 1918. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #358 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #219 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 106,905
- born since 1880
- 1910s
- peak decade
Yes -- Ada is the #219 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 106,905 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ada has been recorded 106,905 times among girls since 1880, currently ranked #219 nationally and more common than 99% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1910s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #358 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #219 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 106,905 born since 1880
- 1910s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ada ranks #358 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #219 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 106,905 born since 1880, peaking in the 1910s.
- #358 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #219 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 106,905
- born since 1880
- 1910s
- peak decade
Ada's 106,905 recorded births place it above 99.5% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
How Ada compares
106,905 Top 3% higher than 97% of 17,297 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Ada's all-time total is 284x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ada | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 106,905 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 1,943 | 21 | 19,840 |
Ada's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Ada splits its recorded history at 1953: 31% of all births land in the more recent half, 69% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1993 (138 births) -- compare that against the 1918 peak of 1,943 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Ada popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1918)
- 1,943
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Ada popularity over time - boys
278 total births recorded since 1885 (Ada as boys' name)
Ada by decade
1910s is the heaviest window (15,234 births, 14% of the file).
1910s was Ada's strongest decade.
15,234 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 14% of all-time use.
Ada births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s
1880s
8,423 births
- 1890s
1890s
10,379 births
- 1900s
1900s
9,121 births
- 1910s
1910s
15,234 births
- 1920s
1920s
15,135 births
- 1930s
1930s
8,492 births
- 1940s 5,884
1940s
5,884 births
- 1950s 4,306
1950s
4,306 births
- 1960s 2,874
1960s
2,874 births
- 1970s 1,924
1970s
1,924 births
- 1980s 1,606
1980s
1,606 births
- 1990s 1,600
1990s
1,600 births
- 2000s 3,395
2000s
3,395 births
- 2010s
2010s
9,037 births
- 2020s
2020s
9,495 births
What this shows Peak: 1910s at 15,234 births (14% of all-time use).
How Ada compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Ada's total volume
Ada by state
Where Ada concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 5,025 | 4.7% |
| #2 | New York | | 4,991 | 4.7% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 4,489 | 4.2% |
| #4 | North Carolina | | 4,069 | 3.8% |
| #5 | California | | 3,734 | 3.5% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 3,710 | 3.5% |
| #7 | Kentucky | | 3,164 | 3.0% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 2,952 | 2.8% |
5,025 of 106,905 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Ada appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ada? ▼
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What to do with Ada's data
- Ada's usage has stayed within range of its 1910s decade-level peak (15,234 total births) through the 2020s (9,495) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Adas (5,025 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Ada
Nearby Names Like Ada
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ada
Compare Ada side by side: Ada vs Adalynn Ada vs Adalyn Ada vs Adaline
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ada
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Ada: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1918)
Similar record span (~145 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Ada draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.