Adam vs Ray

Adam and Raycompared 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 Ray #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #35 and Ray #613 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #42 and Ray #404 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Adam was ranked #60 and Ray #395 among boys in Northern Ireland.

Adam and Ray over time

Adam and Ray appear together in 2 published lists, across 56 years of shared records. Adam held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Ray 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, Ray in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #16 in 1996, Ray #429 in 2019.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adam #35, Ray #613.
Republic of Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 1967–2025
Adam held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Ray in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #3 in 2001, Ray #251 in 1970.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Adam #20, Ray #676.

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.

Adam vs Einar
Over 73 shared years in Norway · Boys, Adam rose about as far as Einar fell — from #380 and #28 in 1952 to #29 and #57 in 2025.
Adam · Einar · 73 shared years, 1952–2025 · Mirrored each other
See the 2025 Norway ranking
Adam vs Erik
Over 73 shared years in Norway · Boys, Adam rose about as far as Erik fell — from #380 and #31 in 1952 to #29 and #64 in 2025.
Adam · Erik · 73 shared years, 1952–2025 · Mirrored each other
See the 2025 Norway ranking
Adam vs Espen
Over 73 shared years in Norway · Boys, Adam rose about as far as Espen fell — from #380 and #249 in 1952 to #29 and #430 in 2025.
Adam · Espen · 73 shared years, 1952–2025 · Mirrored each other
See the 2025 Norway ranking
Adam vs Nils
Over 73 shared years in Norway · Boys, Adam rose about as far as Nils fell — from #380 and #26 in 1952 to #29 and #61 in 2025.
Adam · Nils · 73 shared years, 1952–2025 · Mirrored each other
See the 2025 Norway ranking

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Adam, Ray
Field	Adam	Ray
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)	Republic of Ireland · Boys #676 (2025)
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); Ray does not have one recorded yet.
Adam has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Ray.
A meaning is recorded for Adam; Ray 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

Ray

Popularity journey

First recorded1967
First recorded at #265 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1967 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1967–2025
Highest recorded position: #251 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1970 (recorded 1967–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #676 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys