Adam vs Hamish
Adam and Hamishcompared 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 2019, Adam was ranked #6 and Hamish #402 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #35 and Hamish #422 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #42 and Hamish #70 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2022, Adam was ranked #47 and Hamish #83 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Adam was ranked #60 and Hamish #395 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2009, Adam was ranked #77 and Hamish #72 among boys in New Zealand.
Adam and Hamish over time
Adam and Hamish appear together in 3 published lists, across 95 years of shared records. Adam held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Hamish 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 Hamish 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Adam and Hamish changed places 12 times in New Zealand · Boys between 1966 and 2009, ending at #77 and #72.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 22 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Adam and Hamish averaged 43.3 places apart, ending at #47 and #83.
- Longest-running competitions
Adam and Hamish were both ranked in New Zealand · Boys for 44 years, from 1966 to 2009, ending at #77 and #72.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Adam #16 in 1996, Hamish #222 in 1998.
List by list
New Zealand · Boys44 shared years, 1966–2009
Adam held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Hamish in 20.
Highest recorded here: Adam #13 in 1986, Hamish #27 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2009: Adam #77, Hamish #72.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Adam held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Hamish in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #16 in 1996, Hamish #222 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adam #35, Hamish #422.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys22 shared years, 1997–2022
Adam held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Hamish in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #26 in 1997, Hamish #60 in 2010.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Adam #47, Hamish #83.
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 | Hamish |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Shares the meaning of James: commonly interpreted as 'supplanter' (Hebrew, via James/Jacob). |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Scottish Gaelic |
| Pronunciation | /ˈædəm/ | /ˈheɪmɪʃ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Seumas, James |
| 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 #25 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Adam is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Hamish is recorded with a Scottish Gaelic origin.
- Adam and Hamish both have 2 syllables.
- Adam's recorded meaning differs from Hamish's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Adam a "medium" Data Confidence level and Hamish a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
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
Hamish
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #95 among boys in New Zealand in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded2014–2025
Highest recorded position: #25 in Scotland, in 2025 (recorded 2014–2025).
Scotland
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #25 in Scotland, in 2025.
Scotland