Adam vs Harry
Adam and Harrycompared 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 2024, Adam was ranked #38 and Harry #13 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #35 and Harry #20 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Adam was ranked #20 and Harry #25 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2019, Adam was ranked #25 and Harry #431 among boys in Norway.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #42 and Harry #31 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Adam was ranked #72 and Harry #39 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Adam was ranked #89 and Harry #40 among boys in New Zealand.
Adam and Harry over time
Adam and Harry appear together in 6 published lists, across 215 years of shared records. Harry held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Adam in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 5 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, Harry in 1. 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 New Zealand · Boys, Harry moved into the top 50 at #37 in 2004 as Adam fell out of it to #53, having been #37 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1997, Harry moved ahead of Adam in England and Wales · Boys — #16 and #17 the year before became #20 and #17.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Adam and Harry changed places 8 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1965 and 2025, ending at #20 and #25.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Adam and Harry averaged 23.0 places apart, ending at #35 and #20.
- Longest-running competitions
Adam and Harry were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 33 years, from 1992 to 2025, ending at #72 and #39.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys57 shared years, 1965–2025
Adam held the stronger position in 50 of those years, Harry in 7.
Highest recorded here: Adam #3 in 2001, Harry #6 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Adam #20, Harry #25.
Norway · Boys38 shared years, 1952–2019
Adam held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Harry in 13.
Highest recorded here: Adam #25 in 2019, Harry #89 in 1952.
The order changed in 1967: Adam moved ahead. In 1966 they stood at #197 and #195; by 1967 that had become #165 and #173.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Adam #25, Harry #431.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys33 shared years, 1992–2025
Adam held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Harry in 20.
Highest recorded here: Adam #20 in 1992, Harry #15 in 2018.
The order changed in 2007: Harry moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #31 and #32; by 2007 that had become #37 and #33.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Adam #72, Harry #39.
New Zealand · Boys30 shared years, 1994–2023
Adam held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Harry in 20.
Highest recorded here: Adam #34 in 2002, Harry #22 in 2018.
The order changed in 2004: Harry moved ahead. In 2003 they stood at #37 and #50; by 2004 that had become #53 and #37.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Adam #89, Harry #40.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Adam held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Harry in 28.
Highest recorded here: Adam #16 in 1996, Harry #1 in 2011.
The order changed in 1997: Harry moved ahead. In 1996 they stood at #16 and #17; by 1997 that had become #20 and #17.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adam #35, Harry #20.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Adam held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Harry in 15.
Highest recorded here: Adam #3 in 2001, Harry #4 in 2012.
The order changed in 2010: Harry moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #6 and #11; by 2010 that had become #9 and #6.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adam #38, Harry #13.
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 | Harry |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | A diminutive/pet form, inheriting its meaning from Henry — 'home ruler' — and functioning, in modern times, as a nickname for both Henry and names beginning with 'Har-'. During the Middle Ages in England, Henry was generally rendered as Harry or Herry in English pronunciation. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry |
| Pronunciation | /ˈædəm/ | /ˈhæri/ |
| 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #20 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #25 (2025) |
| 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 Harry is recorded with a English, medieval form/diminutive of Henry origin.
- Adam and Harry both have 2 syllables.
- Adam's recorded meaning differs from Harry's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, 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
Harry
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #70 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in England and Wales, in 2011 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #39 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys