Adam vs Mac
Adam and Maccompared 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 2024, Adam was ranked #25 and Mac #520 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2022, Adam was ranked #31 and Mac #414 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #35 and Mac #1025 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #42 and Mac #139 among boys in Scotland.
Adam and Mac over time
Adam and Mac appear together in 2 published lists, across 45 years of shared records. Adam held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Mac in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
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.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Adam held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Mac in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #16 in 1996, Mac #754 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adam #35, Mac #1025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys16 shared years, 1969–2024
Adam held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Mac in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #11 in 1996, Mac #230 in 1972.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adam #25, Mac #520.
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 | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| 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, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #20 (2025) | Scotland · Boys #139 (2024) |
| 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); Mac does not have one recorded yet.
- Adam has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Mac.
- A meaning is recorded for Adam; Mac doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, 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
Mac
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #270 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1025 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys