Adam vs Ailbe
Adam and Ailbecompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Adam was ranked #20 and Ailbe #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #35 and Ailbe #4270 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #38 and Ailbe #339 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Adam and Ailbe over time
Adam and Ailbe appear together in 2 published lists, across 30 years of shared records. Adam held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Ailbe in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys17 shared years, 2007–2024
Adam held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Ailbe in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #26 in 2007, Ailbe #1124 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adam #35, Ailbe #4270.
Republic of Ireland · Boys13 shared years, 1967–2025
Adam held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Ailbe in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #6 in 2013, Ailbe #265 in 1967.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Adam #20, Ailbe #676.
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
| Field | Adam | Ailbe |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally understood as the Hebrew word for 'man', with a wordplay connection in Genesis to 'ground/earth', since Adam is described as formed from earth. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈædəm/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #20 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #676 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Adam has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Ailbe does not have one recorded yet.
- Adam and Ailbe both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Adam; Ailbe doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Adam
Popularity journey
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
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2001 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #72 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Ailbe
Popularity journey
First recorded1967
First recorded at #265 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1967 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1967–2025
Highest recorded position: #265 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1967 (recorded 1967–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys