Adam vs Nathan
Adam and Nathancompared 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 Nathan #71 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Adam was ranked #29 and Nathan #344 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #35 and Nathan #88 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #38 and Nathan #118 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #42 and Nathan #62 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2018, Adam was ranked #46 and Nathan #84 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Adam was ranked #89 and Nathan #70 among boys in New Zealand.
Adam and Nathan over time
Adam and Nathan appear together in 6 published lists, across 243 years of shared records. Adam held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Nathan in 1.
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 3 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 1991, Nathan moved ahead of Adam in New Zealand · Boys — #31 and #32 the year before became #32 and #23.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Adam and Nathan changed places 4 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1969 and 2018, ending at #46 and #84.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Adam and Nathan averaged 26.7 places apart, ending at #35 and #88.
- Longest-running competitions
Adam and Nathan were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 49 years, from 1969 to 2018, ending at #46 and #84.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Boys within 2 years — Adam #7 in 1979, Nathan #10 in 1981.
List by list
New Zealand · Boys54 shared years, 1969–2023
Adam held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Nathan in 43.
Highest recorded here: Adam #13 in 1986, Nathan #14 in 1995.
The order changed in 1991: Nathan moved ahead. In 1990 they stood at #31 and #32; by 1991 that had become #32 and #23.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Adam #89, Nathan #70.
Republic of Ireland · Boys54 shared years, 1968–2025
Adam held the stronger position in 54 of those years, Nathan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #3 in 2001, Nathan #26 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Adam #20, Nathan #71.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys49 shared years, 1969–2018
Adam held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Nathan in 15.
Highest recorded here: Adam #7 in 1979, Nathan #10 in 1981.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Adam #46, Nathan #84.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Adam held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Nathan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #16 in 1996, Nathan #24 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adam #35, Nathan #88.
Norway · Boys29 shared years, 1982–2025
Adam held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Nathan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #15 in 2023, Nathan #236 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Adam #29, Nathan #344.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Adam held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Nathan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #3 in 2001, Nathan #15 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adam #38, Nathan #118.
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 | Nathan |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Commonly interpreted as 'he gave' or 'he has given'. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Biblical Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | /ˈædəm/ | /ˈneɪθən/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| 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 #71 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Both Adam and Nathan share a recorded Biblical Hebrew origin.
- Adam and Nathan both have 2 syllables.
- Adam's recorded meaning differs from Nathan'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
Nathan
Popularity journey
First recorded1968
First recorded at #267 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1968 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1969–2018
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1981 (recorded 1969–2018).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #344 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys