Adam vs Craig
Adam and Craigcompared 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 2015, Adam was ranked #14 and Craig #415 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1991, Adam was ranked #18 and Craig #97 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Adam was ranked #23 and Craig #516 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1992, Adam was ranked #30 and Craig #90 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #35 and Craig #2263 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #42 and Craig #478 among boys in Scotland.
Adam and Craig over time
Adam and Craig appear together in 5 published lists, across 163 years of shared records. Adam held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Craig 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.
Craig reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, and Adam 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 moved ahead of the other
In 1972, Adam moved ahead of Craig in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #18 and #11 the year before became #13 and #14.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Adam and Craig changed places 6 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1965 and 2023, ending at #23 and #516.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 31 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Adam and Craig averaged 29.2 places apart, ending at #18 and #97.
- Mirrored each other
Over 58 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Adam rose about as far as Craig fell — from #157 and #250 in 1965 to #23 and #516 in 2023.
- Longest-running competitions
Adam and Craig were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 31 years, from 1961 to 1991, ending at #18 and #97.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Adam #16 in 1996, Craig #81 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys58 shared years, 1965–2023
Adam held the stronger position in 53 of those years, Craig in 3.
Highest recorded here: Adam #3 in 2001, Craig #39 in 1990.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Adam #23, Craig #516.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys31 shared years, 1961–1991
Adam held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Craig in 11.
Highest recorded here: Adam #7 in 1979, Craig #8 in 1969.
The order changed in 1972: Adam moved ahead. In 1971 they stood at #18 and #11; by 1972 that had become #13 and #14.
Most recent shared year, 1991: Adam #18, Craig #97.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Adam held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Craig in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #16 in 1996, Craig #81 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adam #35, Craig #2263.
New Zealand · Boys28 shared years, 1965–1992
Adam held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Craig in 17.
Highest recorded here: Adam #13 in 1986, Craig #6 in 1971.
The order changed in 1982: Adam moved ahead. In 1981 they stood at #29 and #28; by 1982 that had become #19 and #32.
Most recent shared year, 1992: Adam #30, Craig #90.
Northern Ireland · Boys17 shared years, 1997–2015
Adam held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Craig in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #3 in 2001, Craig #68 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2015: Adam #14, Craig #415.
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 | Craig |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| 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. | From the Scottish surname derived from Gaelic 'creag', meaning 'crag, rocks, outcrop' — originally denoting someone who lived near a crag. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Scottish Gaelic (surname origin) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈædəm/ | /ˈkɹeɪɡ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| 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) | Scotland · Boys #478 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| 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 is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Craig is recorded with a Scottish Gaelic (surname origin) origin.
- Adam has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Craig.
- Adam's recorded meaning differs from Craig's — see the table above for each.
- 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
Craig
Popularity journey
First recorded1953
First recorded at #79 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1953 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1992
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in New Zealand, in 1971 (recorded 1954–1992).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2263 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys