Adam vs Roman
Adam and Romancompared 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 Roman #179 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Adam was ranked #29 and Roman #438 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #35 and Roman #32 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #38 and Roman #108 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #42 and Roman #46 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Adam was ranked #72 and Roman #50 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Adam was ranked #89 and Roman #63 among boys in New Zealand.
Adam and Roman over time
Adam and Roman appear together in 5 published lists, across 134 years of shared records. Adam held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Roman in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Adam reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Roman in 1. 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 2016, Roman moved ahead of Adam in New Zealand · Boys — #81 and #82 the year before became #83 and #67.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Adam and Roman changed places 5 times in Norway · Boys between 1952 and 2025, ending at #29 and #438.
- Mirrored each other
Over 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Roman rose about as far as Adam fell — from #16 and #605 in 1996 to #35 and #32 in 2024.
- Longest-running competitions
Adam and Roman were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 57 years, from 1952 to 2025, ending at #29 and #438.
List by list
Norway · Boys57 shared years, 1952–2025
Adam held the stronger position in 54 of those years, Roman in 3.
Highest recorded here: Adam #15 in 2023, Roman #196 in 1965.
The order changed in 1960: Adam moved ahead. In 1959 they stood at #265 and #202; by 1960 that had become #228 and #290.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Adam #29, Roman #438.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Adam held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Roman in 5.
Highest recorded here: Adam #16 in 1996, Roman #23 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adam #35, Roman #32.
Republic of Ireland · Boys22 shared years, 2001–2025
Adam held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Roman in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #3 in 2001, Roman #134 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Adam #20, Roman #179.
New Zealand · Boys13 shared years, 2009–2023
Adam held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Roman in 9.
Highest recorded here: Adam #70 in 2011, Roman #43 in 2022.
The order changed in 2016: Roman moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #81 and #82; by 2016 that had become #83 and #67.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Adam #89, Roman #63.
Northern Ireland · Boys13 shared years, 2008–2024
Adam held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Roman in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #6 in 2009, Roman #108 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adam #38, Roman #108.
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 | Roman |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | From the Latin Romanus, meaning 'Roman' — borne by several early saints and medieval rulers of Bulgaria, Kyiv and Moldavia. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Latin, widely used across Slavic and Germanic languages |
| Pronunciation | /ˈædəm/ | /ˈro.man/ |
| 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) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #50 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| 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 Roman is recorded with a Latin, widely used across Slavic and Germanic languages origin.
- Adam and Roman both have 2 syllables.
- Adam's recorded meaning differs from Roman'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
Roman
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #333 among boys in Norway in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #23 among boys in England and Wales, in 2021 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #50 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys