Name of the Week

 

A short and sweet Victorian darling. It can be used as a nickname, 
or on its own as an intriguing alternative to the popular Ava. 

 

Origin:

A Germanic name derived either as a pet form of names such as Adalheidis, which contain the element adal 'noble', or as a form of the Old German name Eda, cognate with the Old English Eadu (from ead 'prosperity, happiness'). Not to be confused with the Hebrew Adah (ah-DAH), which has a different meaning, origin and pronunciation.

Usage:

The name came over to Britain from Germany at the end of the 18th century. One of the earliest well known examples is Lord Byron's daughter Augusta Ada Byron (known as Ada), Countess of Lovelace. It became very popular throughout the 19th century and was much loved by the Victorians. By 1904 it ranked #25, was #39 in 1914 and dropped to #74 in 1924.   It can occasionally be found in records from earlier centuries, but generally as a misspelling of Adah.  Having fallen out of favour since the 1930s Ada is quietly on the rise again. In 2001 Ada ranked #1520 with 12 births. As of 2010 it now ranks #499 with 81 births, having risen from #547 in 2009, and #702 in 2008.

Famous Bearers:

* Augusta Ada, Countess Lovelace "Lady Ada" was a mathematician who is often credited as the First Computer Programmer.  * St Ada was a 7th century abbess at Soissons, France, and niece of St Engelbert. In France she is considered the patroness of nuns. * The 8th century Carolingian gospel book, The Ada Gospels or Ada Codex, is named for "Lady Ada", abbess of St. Mesmim and reputed sister of Charlemagne.  * A few 12th and 13th century noble women were called Ada, including Countess of Northumbria and Huntingdon (also Adelaide, Adeline), Countess of Holland (also Adelaide), and Countess of Atholl.  * Ada of Caria is an obscure figure from the 4th century BC who governed the Anatolian region of Caria, She succeeded power over to Alexander the Great after he invaded in 344 BC, but remained regent until her death.  Ada is also a genus of orchid and the title of a 1961 film starring Susan Hayward and Dean Martin.

Pronunciation:

AY-də (UK) [key]

Possible longer forms:

Adela, Adelaide, Adelina, Adeline, Adelita, Adorinda, Adrasteia, Adriana, Adrienne, Alexandra, Alexandrina, Amedea, Andromeda, Caridad, Leocadia

Sibling Names:

Clara      Rose      Pearl      Flora      Martha      Lena  Leo      Hugh      Julian      Henry      Bennett      Ernest

Name Lists:

Vintage   Victorian Darlings   Saintly & Stylish   Short & Sweet   Dickensian   Gilbert & Sullivan Names

If you like Ada you may also like:   Adele, Freda, Edith, Nora, Ena, Ida, Elsa, Joy, Iva, Lana