Adam vs James
Adam and Jamescompared 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 James #1 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Adam was ranked #20 and James #4 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #42 and James #14 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Adam was ranked #72 and James #15 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Adam was ranked #89 and James #15 among boys in New Zealand.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Adam was ranked #29 and James #355 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #35 and James #40 among boys in England and Wales.
Adam and James over time
Adam and James appear together in 6 published lists, across 315 years of shared records. James held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Adam 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 4 of those lists, James in 2. 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 2024, Adam moved ahead of James in England and Wales · Boys — #41 and #35 the year before became #35 and #40.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Adam and James changed places 4 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #38 and #1.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Adam and James averaged 18.8 places apart, ending at #35 and #40.
- Longest-running competitions
Adam and James were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 65 years, from 1961 to 2025, ending at #72 and #15.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Adam #16 in 1996, James #2 in 1997.
List by list
Norway · Boys73 shared years, 1952–2025
Adam held the stronger position in 71 of those years, James in 2.
Highest recorded here: Adam #15 in 2023, James #218 in 1978.
The order changed in 1955: Adam moved ahead. In 1954 they stood at #258 and #242; by 1955 that had become #409 and #419.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Adam #29, James #355.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys65 shared years, 1961–2025
Adam held the stronger position in 14 of those years, James in 51.
Highest recorded here: Adam #7 in 1979, James #3 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Adam #72, James #15.
Republic of Ireland · Boys61 shared years, 1965–2025
Adam held the stronger position in 6 of those years, James in 54.
Highest recorded here: Adam #3 in 2001, James #1 in 1994.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Adam #20, James #4.
New Zealand · Boys59 shared years, 1965–2023
Adam held the stronger position in 0 of those years, James in 59.
Highest recorded here: Adam #13 in 1986, James #2 in 1993.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Adam #89, James #15.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Adam held the stronger position in 1 of those years, James in 28.
Highest recorded here: Adam #16 in 1996, James #2 in 1997.
The order changed in 2024: Adam moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #41 and #35; by 2024 that had become #35 and #40.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adam #35, James #40.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Adam held the stronger position in 4 of those years, James in 24.
Highest recorded here: Adam #3 in 2001, James #1 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adam #38, James #1.
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 | James |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Supplanter, held by the heel (traditional interpretation via Jacob). |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus |
| Pronunciation | /ˈædəm/ | /ˈdʒeɪmz/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Jim, Jamie, Iacomus |
| 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 #4 (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 | high |
What the data shows
- Adam is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while James is recorded with a Hebrew, via Late Latin Iacomus origin.
- Adam and James both have 2 syllables.
- Adam's recorded meaning differs from James's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Adam a "medium" Data Confidence level and James 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
James
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #344 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2015 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #15 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys