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Ada (name)
Encyclopedia
Ada is a feminine given name. One source indicates it originates from a Germanic
word meaning "nobility
". It can also be a short form of names such as Adelaide
and Adeline. The name also traces to Hebrew origin, sometimes spelt Adah - עָדָה, meaning "adornment
".
The name has seen a slight increase in popularity in the United States
in recent years, where it was the 646th most common name given to baby girls born there in 2007. It had been among the top 100 names for girls in the United States between 1880 and 1912 and remained in the top 1,000 names for girls until 1985. It first reappeared among the top 1,000 names for girls in 2004, after a 19 year absence. The name is also commonly used in Norway
, where it was the 66th most popular name for girls born in 2007.
Its increase in popularity has been attributed to the popularity of other "simple, old-fashioned names beginning with a vowel" such as Ava
and Ella
Some of its popularity might also be attributed to Ada, Countess of Lovelace
, the daughter of George Gordon, Lord Byron, who has been called the first computer programmer by some historians. Ada
, a computer programming language, was named in her honor. St. Ada
was also the name of an early saint and of several medieval queens and princesses.
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
word meaning "nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
". It can also be a short form of names such as Adelaide
Adelaide (disambiguation)
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia.Adelaide is also commonly the given name AdelaideAdelaide may also refer to:- Place names :Australia* Places related to Adelaide, South Australia:** Adelaide city centre...
and Adeline. The name also traces to Hebrew origin, sometimes spelt Adah - עָדָה, meaning "adornment
Adornment
An adornment is generally an accessory or ornament worn to enhance the beauty or status of the wearer. They are often worn to embellish, enhance, or distinguish the wearer, and to define cultural, social, or religious status within a specific community. When worn to show economic status, the items...
".
The name has seen a slight increase in popularity in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in recent years, where it was the 646th most common name given to baby girls born there in 2007. It had been among the top 100 names for girls in the United States between 1880 and 1912 and remained in the top 1,000 names for girls until 1985. It first reappeared among the top 1,000 names for girls in 2004, after a 19 year absence. The name is also commonly used in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, where it was the 66th most popular name for girls born in 2007.
Its increase in popularity has been attributed to the popularity of other "simple, old-fashioned names beginning with a vowel" such as Ava
Ava (given name)
Ava is a feminine given name in the English language. The name is possibly derived from a Germanic name, composed of the element av, which is of an uncertain meaning. It is also possible that modern given name may be a completely modern creation...
and Ella
Ella (name)
Ella is a feminine given name with multiple origins. One source gives its meaning as "all, completely," from German. Another source indicates the name is a Norman version of the Germanic short name Alia, which was short for a variety of German names with the element ali-, meaning "other." It is...
Some of its popularity might also be attributed to Ada, Countess of Lovelace
Ada Lovelace
Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace , born Augusta Ada Byron, was an English writer chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage's early mechanical general-purpose computer, the analytical engine...
, the daughter of George Gordon, Lord Byron, who has been called the first computer programmer by some historians. Ada
Ada (programming language)
Ada is a structured, statically typed, imperative, wide-spectrum, and object-oriented high-level computer programming language, extended from Pascal and other languages...
, a computer programming language, was named in her honor. St. Ada
St. Ada
St. Ada, a Roman Catholic saint, was a 7th century nun, abbess, and dedicated virgin. She was the niece of Saint Engelbert, who was murdered by his own cousin; she and her family were very pious. She was a nun at Soissons, France, and subsequently an abbess at St. Julien de Prés Abbey, Le Mans,...
was also the name of an early saint and of several medieval queens and princesses.
Notable name holders
- Ada, Countess of HollandAda, Countess of HollandAda was Countess of Holland between 1203 and 1207.-Biography:She was the only surviving daughter of Dirk VII, Count of Holland and his wife Adelaide of Cleves. She succeeded her father as Countess in her own right. She immediately had to deal with her uncle William, who claimed Holland for his...
in the 13th century. - Ada LovelaceAda LovelaceAugusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace , born Augusta Ada Byron, was an English writer chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage's early mechanical general-purpose computer, the analytical engine...
, daughter of Lord Byron, recognized as the first computer programmer - Ada WongAda Wongis a game character in the Resident Evil series. The film version of Ada appears in Resident Evil: Retribution, where she is played by Li Bingbing.-Creation and development:...
, a character from the video games Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 4 - Ada McGrath, protagonist in Jane CampionJane CampionJane Campion is a filmmaker and screenwriter. She is one of the most internationally successful New Zealand directors, although most of her work has been made in or financed by other countries, principally Australia – where she now lives – and the United States...
's 1993 film The PianoThe PianoThe Piano is a 1993 New Zealand drama film about a mute pianist and her daughter, set during the mid-19th century in a rainy, muddy frontier backwater on the west coast of New Zealand. The film was written and directed by Jane Campion, and stars Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Sam Neill, and Anna Paquin... - Ada YonathAda YonathAda E. Yonath is an Israeli crystallographer best known for her pioneering work on the structure of the ribosome. She is the current director of the Helen and Milton A. Kimmelman Center for Biomolecular Structure and Assembly of the Weizmann Institute of Science. In 2009, she received the Nobel...
, Israeli biochemist - Ada de la CruzAda de la CruzAda Aimée de la Cruz Ramirez is Miss Dominican Republic 2009 and Miss Universe 2009 first runner-up.-Biography:...
, Dominican beauty queen; former Miss Dominican RepublicMiss Dominican RepublicMiss Dominican Republic, or Miss República Dominicana in Spanish, is a pageant where women ranging from the ages of 18 to 26 compete, each representing a Dominican province, city, or community. The Miss Dominican Republic organization is managed by Magali Febles...
and both Miss WorldMiss WorldThe Miss World pageant is the oldest surviving major international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951...
and Miss UniverseMiss UniverseMiss Universe is an annual international beauty contest that is run by the Miss Universe Organization. The pageant is the most publicized beauty contest in the world with 600 million viewers....
finalist