Adam vs Kirk
Adam and Kirkcompared 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 2004, Adam was ranked #4 and Kirk #264 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2023, Adam was ranked #41 and Kirk #4107 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 1988, Adam was ranked #55 and Kirk #319 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Adam and Kirk over time
Adam and Kirk appear together in 1 published list, across 27 years of shared records. Adam held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Kirk in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Adam reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Kirk 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys27 shared years, 1996–2023
Adam held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Kirk in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #16 in 1996, Kirk #463 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Adam #41, Kirk #4107.
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 | Kirk |
|---|---|---|
| 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, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #20 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #4107 (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); Kirk does not have one recorded yet.
- Adam has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Kirk.
- A meaning is recorded for Adam; Kirk doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
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
Kirk
Popularity journey
First recorded1970
First recorded at #278 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1970 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2004
Highest recorded position: #206 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2000 (recorded 1997–2004).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #4107 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Boys