Adam vs Ken
Adam and Kencompared 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 2001, Adam was ranked #3 and Ken #409 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2023, Adam was ranked #41 and Ken #3523 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2016, Adam was ranked #52 and Ken #528 among boys in Norway.
Adam and Ken over time
Adam and Ken appear together in 2 published lists, across 82 years of shared records. Adam held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Ken in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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 Ken in Norway · Boys — #153 and #126 the year before became #142 and #145.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Adam and Ken changed places 11 times in Norway · Boys between 1955 and 2016, ending at #52 and #528.
- Mirrored each other
Over 56 shared years in Norway · Boys, Adam rose about as far as Ken fell — from #409 and #336 in 1955 to #52 and #528 in 2016.
- Longest-running competitions
Adam and Ken were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 56 years, from 1955 to 2016, ending at #52 and #528.
List by list
Norway · Boys56 shared years, 1955–2016
Adam held the stronger position in 47 of those years, Ken in 9.
Highest recorded here: Adam #52 in 2016, Ken #126 in 1971.
The order changed in 1972: Adam moved ahead. In 1971 they stood at #153 and #126; by 1972 that had become #142 and #145.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Adam #52, Ken #528.
England and Wales · Boys26 shared years, 1996–2023
Adam held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Ken in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #16 in 1996, Ken #1199 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Adam #41, Ken #3523.
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 | Ken |
|---|---|---|
| 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/ | Not yet recorded |
| 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 | GB-ENW, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #20 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #3523 (2023) |
| 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); Ken does not have one recorded yet.
- Adam has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Ken.
- A meaning is recorded for Adam; Ken doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, 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
Ken
Popularity journey
First recorded1955
First recorded at #336 among boys in Norway in 1955 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1955–2016
Highest recorded position: #126 among boys in Norway, in 1971 (recorded 1955–2016).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #3523 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Boys