Adrian vs Alastair
Adrian and Alastaircompared 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 2020, Adrian was ranked #211 and Alastair #637 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2007, Adrian was ranked #276 and Alastair #357 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Adrian was ranked #279 and Alastair #1153 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Adrian was ranked #478 and Alastair #619 among boys in Scotland.
Adrian and Alastair over time
Adrian and Alastair appear together in 2 published lists, across 51 years of shared records. Adrian held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Alastair in 0.
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 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.
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.
- Longest-running competitions
Adrian and Alastair were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #279 and #1153.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Adrian held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Alastair in 2.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #190 in 2009, Alastair #195 in 1996.
The order changed in 1999: Adrian moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #256 and #250; by 1999 that had become #258 and #272.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Adrian #279, Alastair #1153.
Republic of Ireland · Boys21 shared years, 1966–2020
Adrian held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Alastair in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #43 in 1978, Alastair #217 in 1984.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Adrian #211, Alastair #637.
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 | Alastair |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 3 |
| 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 | Norway · Boys #70 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #1153 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Adrian has a recorded origin (Latin); Alastair does not have one recorded yet.
- Adrian has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Alastair.
- A meaning is recorded for Adrian; Alastair doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, 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 #279 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
Alastair
Popularity journey
First recorded1966
First recorded at #229 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1966 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2007
Highest recorded position: #182 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 1998 (recorded 1997–2007).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1153 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys