Adam vs Arran
Adam and Arrancompared 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 2002, Adam was ranked #4 and Arran #220 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Adam was ranked #22 and Arran #657 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #35 and Arran #1025 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #42 and Arran #51 among boys in Scotland.
Adam and Arran over time
Adam and Arran appear together in 2 published lists, across 57 years of shared records. Adam held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Arran 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.
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 28 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Adam rose about as far as Arran fell — from #106 and #292 in 1979 to #22 and #657 in 2022.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Adam #16 in 1996, Arran #207 in 1997.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Adam held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Arran in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #16 in 1996, Arran #207 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adam #35, Arran #1025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1979–2022
Adam held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Arran in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #3 in 2001, Arran #196 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Adam #22, Arran #657.
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 | Arran |
|---|---|---|
| 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, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #20 (2025) | Scotland · Boys #51 (2024) |
| 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); Arran does not have one recorded yet.
- Adam and Arran both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Adam; Arran doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, 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
Arran
Popularity journey
First recorded1979
First recorded at #292 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1979 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1025 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys