Adam vs Stefan
Adam and Stefancompared 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 Stefan #402 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Adam was ranked #29 and Stefan #272 among boys in Norway.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1990, Adam was ranked #31 and Stefan #99 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #35 and Stefan #385 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #38 and Stefan #404 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Adam was ranked #42 and Stefan #535 among boys in Scotland.
Adam and Stefan over time
Adam and Stefan appear together in 4 published lists, across 172 years of shared records. Adam held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Stefan in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Stefan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Adam and Stefan changed places 18 times in Norway · Boys between 1954 and 2025, ending at #29 and #272.
- Longest-running competitions
Adam and Stefan were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 72 years, from 1954 to 2025, ending at #29 and #272.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Adam #16 in 1996, Stefan #155 in 1996.
List by list
Norway · Boys72 shared years, 1954–2025
Adam held the stronger position in 59 of those years, Stefan in 13.
Highest recorded here: Adam #15 in 2023, Stefan #98 in 1990.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Adam #29, Stefan #272.
Republic of Ireland · Boys46 shared years, 1974–2025
Adam held the stronger position in 46 of those years, Stefan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #3 in 2001, Stefan #154 in 1989.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Adam #20, Stefan #402.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Adam held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Stefan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #16 in 1996, Stefan #155 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adam #35, Stefan #385.
Northern Ireland · Boys25 shared years, 1997–2024
Adam held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Stefan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adam #3 in 2001, Stefan #143 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adam #38, Stefan #404.
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 | Stefan |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 2 |
| 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, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #20 (2025) | Norway · Boys #272 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Adam has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Stefan does not have one recorded yet.
- Adam and Stefan both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Adam; Stefan doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in 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
Stefan
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #343 among boys in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1947–2025
Highest recorded position: #98 among boys in Norway, in 1990 (recorded 1947–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #272 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys