Namewise

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.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, Adam was ranked #26 and Nathan #99 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Norway · Boys

    In 2025, Adam was ranked #29 and Nathan #344 among boys in Norway.

  • 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 244 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 30 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Adam and Nathan averaged 28.3 places apart, ending at #26 and #99.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Adam and Nathan were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #26 and #99.

  • 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 · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Adam held the stronger position in 30 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, 2025: Adam #26, Nathan #99.

  • 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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Adam

Pairs where Adam shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Nathan

Pairs where Nathan shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — closest over the longest run.

All closest over the longest run→

Other pairs from New South Wales, Australia lists

Pairs measured inside New South Wales, Australia's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

New South Wales, Australia overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2010s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2010 and 2019.

The 2010s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Adam, Nathan
FieldAdamNathan
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningTraditionally 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'.
OriginBiblical HebrewBiblical Hebrew
Pronunciation/ˈædəm//ˈneɪθən/
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationRepublic of Ireland · Boys #20 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Boys #71 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)95/10088/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

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

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1997–2024

    Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2001 (recorded 1997–2024).

    Northern Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #26 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys

Nathan

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1969–2018

    Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1981 (recorded 1969–2018).

    New South Wales, Australia · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #99 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys