Adam vs Caleb
Adam and Calebcompared 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 Caleb #108 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #38 and Caleb #26 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #35 and Caleb #75 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #42 and Caleb #42 among boys in Scotland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Adam was ranked #89 and Caleb #45 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #57 and Caleb #97 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Adam and Caleb over time
Adam and Caleb appear together in 5 published lists, across 158 years of shared records. Adam held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Caleb in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 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 5 of those lists, and Caleb in none. 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.
- One took the other's place near the top
In Northern Ireland · Boys, Caleb moved into the top 50 at #26 in 2021 as Adam fell out of it to #59, having been #24 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1996, Caleb moved ahead of Adam in New Zealand · Boys — #45 and #57 the year before became #39 and #24.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 25 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Adam and Caleb averaged 31.2 places apart, ending at #57 and #97.
- Longest-running competitions
Adam and Caleb were both ranked in New Zealand · Boys for 42 years, from 1982 to 2023, ending at #89 and #45.
List by list
New Zealand · Boys42 shared years, 1982–2023
Adam held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Caleb in 28.
Highest recorded here: Adam #13 in 1986, Caleb #12 in 1999.
The order changed in 1996: Caleb moved ahead. In 1995 they stood at #45 and #57; by 1996 that had become #39 and #24.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Adam #89, Caleb #45.
Republic of Ireland · Boys34 shared years, 1983–2025
Adam held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Caleb in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #3 in 2001, Caleb #91 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Adam #20, Caleb #108.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Adam held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Caleb in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #16 in 1996, Caleb #72 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adam #35, Caleb #75.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Adam held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Caleb in 4.
Highest recorded here: Adam #3 in 2001, Caleb #20 in 2023.
The order changed in 2021: Caleb moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #24 and #30; by 2021 that had become #59 and #26.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adam #38, Caleb #26.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys25 shared years, 1996–2024
Adam held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Caleb in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #26 in 1996, Caleb #51 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adam #57, Caleb #97.
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 | Caleb |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #20 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #108 (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); Caleb does not have one recorded yet.
- Adam and Caleb both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Adam; Caleb doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
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
Caleb
Popularity journey
First recorded1982
First recorded at #98 among boys in New Zealand in 1982 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1982–2023
Highest recorded position: #12 among boys in New Zealand, in 1999 (recorded 1982–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #108 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys