Adrian vs Clayton
Adrian and Claytoncompared 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.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1976, Adrian was ranked #75 and Clayton #100 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Adrian was ranked #200 and Clayton #520 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Adrian was ranked #244 and Clayton #622 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Adrian was ranked #249 and Clayton #395 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Adrian was ranked #478 and Clayton #535 among boys in Scotland.
Adrian and Clayton over time
Adrian and Clayton appear together in 2 published lists, across 62 years of shared records. Adrian held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Clayton in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
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 Clayton were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 33 years, from 1978 to 2024, ending at #200 and #520.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys33 shared years, 1978–2024
Adrian held the stronger position in 33 of those years, Clayton in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #43 in 1978, Clayton #203 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adrian #200, Clayton #520.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Adrian held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Clayton in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #190 in 2009, Clayton #360 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adrian #244, Clayton #622.
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 | Clayton |
|---|---|---|
| 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, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #70 (2025) | Northern Ireland · Boys #404 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Adrian has a recorded origin (Latin); Clayton does not have one recorded yet.
- Adrian and Clayton both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Adrian; Clayton doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in 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
Clayton
Popularity journey
First recorded1978
First recorded at #283 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1978 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #622 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys