Adrian vs Barra
Adrian and Barracompared 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, Adrian was ranked #348 and Barra #170 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Adrian was ranked #249 and Barra #272 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Adrian and Barra over time
Adrian and Barra appear together in 2 published lists, across 43 years of shared records. Adrian held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Barra 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.
Adrian reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Barra 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2025, Barra moved ahead of Adrian in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #200 and #275 the year before became #348 and #170.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Adrian and Barra changed places 6 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 2006 and 2023, ending at #249 and #272.
- Longest-running competitions
Adrian and Barra were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 31 years, from 1981 to 2025, ending at #348 and #170.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys31 shared years, 1981–2025
Adrian held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Barra in 2.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #53 in 1982, Barra #170 in 2025.
The order changed in 2025: Barra moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #200 and #275; by 2025 that had become #348 and #170.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Adrian #348, Barra #170.
Northern Ireland · Boys12 shared years, 2006–2023
Adrian held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Barra in 5.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #172 in 2009, Barra #187 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Adrian #249, Barra #272.
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 | Barra |
|---|---|---|
| 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-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #70 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #170 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Adrian has a recorded origin (Latin); Barra does not have one recorded yet.
- Adrian and Barra both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Adrian; Barra doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in 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
Barra
Popularity journey
First recorded1981
First recorded at #322 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1981 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1981–2025
Highest recorded position: #170 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025 (recorded 1981–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #170 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys