Adam vs Evan
Adam and Evancompared 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1987, Adam was ranked #11 and Evan #93 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Adam was ranked #20 and Evan #80 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Adam was ranked #29 and Evan #350 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #35 and Evan #178 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #38 and Evan #125 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #42 and Evan #181 among boys in Scotland.
Adam and Evan over time
Adam and Evan appear together in 3 published lists, across 114 years of shared records. Adam held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Evan in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Adam reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Evan 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.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 57 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Adam and Evan averaged 40.2 places apart, ending at #20 and #80.
- Longest-running competitions
Adam and Evan were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 57 years, from 1969 to 2025, ending at #20 and #80.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys57 shared years, 1969–2025
Adam held the stronger position in 57 of those years, Evan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #3 in 2001, Evan #23 in 2007.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Adam #20, Evan #80.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Adam held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Evan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #16 in 1996, Evan #70 in 2009.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adam #35, Evan #178.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Adam held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Evan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #3 in 2001, Evan #79 in 2010.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adam #38, Evan #125.
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 | Evan |
|---|---|---|
| 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/ | |
| 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, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #20 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #80 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Adam has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Evan does not have one recorded yet.
- Adam and Evan both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Adam; Evan doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
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
Evan
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #291 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1969–2025
Highest recorded position: #23 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2007 (recorded 1969–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #350 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys