Adrian vs Fergus
Adrian and Ferguscompared 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.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Adrian was ranked #478 and Fergus #104 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Adrian was ranked #244 and Fergus #434 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Adrian was ranked #249 and Fergus #348 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Adrian was ranked #348 and Fergus #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Adrian and Fergus over time
Adrian and Fergus appear together in 3 published lists, across 102 years of shared records. Adrian held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Fergus in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Fergus reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Adrian 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Adrian and Fergus changed places 6 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2023, ending at #249 and #348.
- Longest-running competitions
Adrian and Fergus were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 56 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #348 and #829.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Adrian #153 in 1997, Fergus #199 in 1999.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #65 and #66 in Republic of Ireland · Boys, 1 places apart; by 2025 they were #348 and #829.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys56 shared years, 1964–2025
Adrian held the stronger position in 55 of those years, Fergus in 1.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #41 in 1975, Fergus #66 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Adrian #348, Fergus #829.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Adrian held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Fergus in 1.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #190 in 2009, Fergus #243 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adrian #244, Fergus #434.
Northern Ireland · Boys17 shared years, 1997–2023
Adrian held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Fergus in 1.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #153 in 1997, Fergus #199 in 1999.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Adrian #249, Fergus #348.
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 | Fergus |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #70 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Adrian has a recorded origin (Latin); Fergus does not have one recorded yet.
- Adrian and Fergus both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Adrian; Fergus 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 #70 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Fergus
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #66 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #66 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys