Adda
A girl's name of Hebrew origin with 971 recorded U.S. births.
Meaning & Origin
a tributary of the river Po in northern Italy
Adda is a girl's baby name of Hebrew origin, a short form of Adah or Ada, from the Hebrew meaning 'adornment, beauty' — one of the first women named in the Book of Genesis, a wife of Lamech. Adda also echoes the name of Ada Lovelace, the nineteenth-century mathematician considered the first computer programmer. With nearly 970 births in U.S. records, it is a name of spare elegance and surprising depth.
EtymologyShow more
Though Adda dates back to 1880 in U.S. records, its etymological path is not always straightforward. Names that predate modern naming databases sometimes resist easy classification — they may have been oral traditions, regional family names, or adaptations that were never systematically recorded. The Hebrew classification provides a starting point, but the full derivation likely involves more nuance than a single label can capture.
Adda’s 971 recorded births provide enough of a footprint to establish it as a real, chosen name in American culture — not a typo or a one-off, but a deliberate selection by hundreds of families.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
Adda has 78+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 1880.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Avg Rank | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 24 | #11414 | ▼ |
| 2010s | 33 | #14151 | ▲ |
| 2000s | 17 | #15874 | ▲ |
| 1980s | 5 | #11806 | ▼ |
| 1960s | 10 | #6683 | ▲ |
| 1950s | 6 | #5325 | ▼ |
| 1940s | 21 | #4608 | ▼ |
| 1930s | 69 | #3408 | ▼ |
| 1920s | 167 | #2230 | ▲ |
| 1910s | 160 | #1714 | ▲ |
| 1900s | 92 | #1381 | ▼ |
| 1890s | 160 | #778 | ▼ |
| 1880s | 207 | #454 | — |
The Story of Adda
A Greatest Generation name
Peaking in 1888, Adda is a name steeped in history. Girls named Adda are most likely born between 1880 and 1898.
How rare is Adda?
Only about 1 in every 360,000 babies born in 2024 was named Adda — a truly uncommon choice.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 1880, peaked in the 1880s with 207 births that decade, and has since become a rare, vintage choice.
Adda by the numbers
- Would fill 20 school buses
- Meeting one Adda per day would take 2.7 years
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(78 years, 1880–2024)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 10 | #9531 |
| 2023 | 6 | #13476 |
| 2022 | 8 | #11236 |
| 2017 | 9 | #10697 |
| 2015 | 7 | #13026 |
| 2014 | 7 | #13091 |
| 2012 | 5 | #16910 |
| 2010 | 5 | #17029 |
| 2008 | 5 | #17536 |
| 2007 | 5 | #17660 |
| 2003 | 7 | #12427 |
| 1988 | 5 | #11806 |
| 1964 | 5 | #6771 |
| 1963 | 5 | #6594 |
| 1956 | 6 | #5325 |
| 1947 | 5 | #5299 |
| 1945 | 5 | #4556 |
| 1942 | 5 | #4621 |
| 1941 | 6 | #3955 |
| 1939 | 10 | #2736 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Adda a boy's or girl's name?
When was Adda most popular?
How popular is the name Adda?
Explore More
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1880–2024