Adam vs Mark
Adam and Markcompared 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 2025, Adam was ranked #20 and Mark #99 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Adam was ranked #29 and Mark #286 among boys in Norway.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2001, Adam was ranked #32 and Mark #90 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #35 and Mark #277 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #38 and Mark #177 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #42 and Mark #169 among boys in Scotland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2000, Adam was ranked #46 and Mark #89 among boys in New Zealand.
Adam and Mark over time
Adam and Mark appear together in 6 published lists, across 267 years of shared records. Adam held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Mark in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Mark reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Adam 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.
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 1979, Adam moved ahead of Mark in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #9 and #8 the year before became #7 and #9.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Adam and Mark changed places 5 times in Norway · Boys between 1952 and 2025, ending at #29 and #286.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 41 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Adam and Mark averaged 23.0 places apart, ending at #32 and #90.
- Longest-running competitions
Adam and Mark were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 41 years, from 1961 to 2001, ending at #32 and #90.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Adam #16 in 1996, Mark #55 in 1996.
List by list
Norway · Boys73 shared years, 1952–2025
Adam held the stronger position in 70 of those years, Mark in 3.
Highest recorded here: Adam #15 in 2023, Mark #211 in 1970.
The order changed in 1964: Adam moved ahead. In 1963 they stood at #237 and #231; by 1964 that had become #201 and #226.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Adam #29, Mark #286.
Republic of Ireland · Boys61 shared years, 1965–2025
Adam held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Mark in 31.
Highest recorded here: Adam #3 in 2001, Mark #7 in 1974.
The order changed in 1996: Adam moved ahead. In 1995 they stood at #14 and #11; by 1996 that had become #11 and #16.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Adam #20, Mark #99.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys41 shared years, 1961–2001
Adam held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Mark in 18.
Highest recorded here: Adam #7 in 1979, Mark #3 in 1961.
The order changed in 1979: Adam moved ahead. In 1978 they stood at #9 and #8; by 1979 that had become #7 and #9.
Most recent shared year, 2001: Adam #32, Mark #90.
New Zealand · Boys35 shared years, 1965–2000
Adam held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Mark in 22.
Highest recorded here: Adam #13 in 1986, Mark #2 in 1974.
The order changed in 1991: Adam moved ahead. In 1990 they stood at #31 and #28; by 1991 that had become #32 and #36.
Most recent shared year, 2000: Adam #46, Mark #89.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Adam held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Mark in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #16 in 1996, Mark #55 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adam #35, Mark #277.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Adam held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Mark in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #3 in 2001, Mark #12 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adam #38, Mark #177.
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 | Mark |
|---|---|---|
| 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 form of the Latin name Marcus used in several languages. Saint Mark authored the second Gospel and is patron saint of Venice. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Latin |
| Pronunciation | /ˈædəm/ | /ˈmɑɹk/ |
| 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 | 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 #99 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| 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 is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Mark is recorded with a Latin origin.
- Adam has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Mark.
- Adam's recorded meaning differs from Mark'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
Mark
Popularity journey
First recorded1950
First recorded at #362 among boys in Norway in 1950 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2001
Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1960 (recorded 1952–2001).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #286 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys