Adrian vs Aedan
Adrian and Aedancompared 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 2024, Adrian was ranked #200 and Aedan #785 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Adrian was ranked #244 and Aedan #1675 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2021, Adrian was ranked #295 and Aedan #374 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Adrian and Aedan over time
Adrian and Aedan appear together in 3 published lists, across 58 years of shared records. Adrian held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Aedan in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Aedan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Adrian 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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Adrian #153 in 1997, Aedan #271 in 1997.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Adrian held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Aedan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #190 in 2009, Aedan #710 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adrian #244, Aedan #1675.
Republic of Ireland · Boys15 shared years, 1996–2024
Adrian held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Aedan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #91 in 1996, Aedan #369 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adrian #200, Aedan #785.
Northern Ireland · Boys14 shared years, 1997–2021
Adrian held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Aedan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #153 in 1997, Aedan #271 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Adrian #295, Aedan #374.
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 | Adrian | Aedan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | From the Latin name Hadrianus. Borne by several saints and six popes, including the only English pope, Adrian IV. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Latin | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈeɪ.dɹi.ən/ | 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, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #70 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #785 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Adrian has a recorded origin (Latin); Aedan does not have one recorded yet.
- Adrian and Aedan both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Adrian; Aedan doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Adrian
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #87 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1958–2025
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in Norway, in 2005 (recorded 1958–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #70 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Aedan
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #1235 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2021
Highest recorded position: #271 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 1997 (recorded 1997–2021).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1675 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys