Namewise

Abraham vs Adam

Abraham and Adamcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.

Head to head

Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2018, Abraham was ranked #416 and Adam #23 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2024, Abraham was ranked #520 and Adam #25 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • Norway · Boys

    In 2025, Abraham was ranked #485 and Adam #29 among boys in Norway.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2024, Abraham was ranked #602 and Adam #35 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Abraham was ranked #727 and Adam #42 among boys in Scotland.

Abraham and Adam over time

Abraham and Adam appear together in 3 published lists, across 98 years of shared records. Adam held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Abraham in 0.

The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Adam reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Abraham in 1. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.

Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.

How this pair is related

The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.

  • Mirrored each other

    Over 21 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Adam rose about as far as Abraham fell — from #321 and #148 in 1974 to #520 and #25 in 2024.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Abraham and Adam were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 48 years, from 1952 to 2025, ending at #485 and #29.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Abraham #313 in 2002, Adam #3 in 2001.

List by list

  • Norway · Boys48 shared years, 19522025

    Abraham held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Adam in 47.

    Highest recorded here: Abraham #322 in 1985, Adam #18 in 2024.

    The order changed in 1959: Adam moved ahead. In 1958 they stood at #379 and #380; by 1959 that had become #410 and #265.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Abraham #485, Adam #29.

  • England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 19962024

    Abraham held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Adam in 29.

    Highest recorded here: Abraham #374 in 2004, Adam #16 in 1996.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Abraham #602, Adam #35.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys21 shared years, 19742024

    Abraham held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Adam in 21.

    Highest recorded here: Abraham #313 in 2002, Adam #3 in 2001.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Abraham #520, Adam #25.

Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Abraham, Adam
FieldAbrahamAdam
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Editorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningNot yet recordedTraditionally understood as the Hebrew word for 'man', with a wordplay connection in Genesis to 'ground/earth', since Adam is described as formed from earth.
OriginNot yet recordedBiblical Hebrew
PronunciationNot yet recorded/ˈædəm/
Syllables32
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageGB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NOAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationNorway · Boys #485 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Boys #20 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recorded90/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)82/10095/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Adam has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Abraham does not have one recorded yet.
  • Abraham has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Adam.
  • A meaning is recorded for Adam; Abraham doesn't have one written yet.
  • Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.

How each name got here

Abraham

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1952

    First recorded at #379 among boys in Norway in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1974–2024

    Highest recorded position: #313 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2002 (recorded 1974–2024).

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #485 among boys in Norway, in 2025.

    Norway · Boys

Adam

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1952

    First recorded at #380 among boys in Norway in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1997–2024

    Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2001 (recorded 1997–2024).

    Northern Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #72 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys