Adrian vs Billy
Adrian and Billycompared 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 Billy #39 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Adrian was ranked #244 and Billy #127 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Adrian was ranked #249 and Billy #232 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Adrian was ranked #478 and Billy #234 among boys in Scotland.
Adrian and Billy over time
Adrian and Billy appear together in 3 published lists, across 97 years of shared records. Billy held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Adrian in 0.
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.
Adrian reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Billy 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 2011, Billy moved ahead of Adrian in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #110 and #122 the year before became #125 and #101.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Adrian and Billy changed places 7 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1998 and 2023, ending at #249 and #232.
- Longest-running competitions
Adrian and Billy were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 45 years, from 1970 to 2025, ending at #348 and #39.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys45 shared years, 1970–2025
Adrian held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Billy in 23.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #49 in 1977, Billy #39 in 2025.
The order changed in 2011: Billy moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #110 and #122; by 2011 that had become #125 and #101.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Adrian #348, Billy #39.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Adrian held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Billy in 29.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #190 in 2009, Billy #68 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adrian #244, Billy #127.
Northern Ireland · Boys23 shared years, 1998–2023
Adrian held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Billy in 11.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #165 in 2010, Billy #169 in 2015.
The order changed in 2018: Billy moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #250 and #279; by 2018 that had become #365 and #204.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Adrian #249, Billy #232.
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 | Billy |
|---|---|---|
| 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/ | |
| 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #70 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #39 (2025) |
| 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); Billy does not have one recorded yet.
- Adrian and Billy both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Adrian; Billy doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
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
Billy
Popularity journey
First recorded1970
First recorded at #305 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1970 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1970–2025
Highest recorded position: #39 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025 (recorded 1970–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #44 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys