Adrian vs Graeme
Adrian and Graemecompared 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 South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1972, Adrian was ranked #51 and Graeme #96 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1975, Adrian was ranked #69 and Graeme #86 among boys in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2013, Adrian was ranked #161 and Graeme #711 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2023, Adrian was ranked #262 and Graeme #4107 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2001, Adrian was ranked #280 and Graeme #280 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Adrian and Graeme over time
Adrian and Graeme appear together in 4 published lists, across 85 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
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.
Graeme reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1969, Adrian moved ahead of Graeme in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #72 and #63 the year before became #60 and #74.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 20 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Adrian and Graeme averaged 35.7 places apart, ending at #51 and #96.
- Longest-running competitions
Adrian and Graeme were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 34 years, from 1968 to 2013, ending at #161 and #711.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys34 shared years, 1968–2013
Adrian held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Graeme in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #41 in 1975, Graeme #152 in 1992.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2013: Adrian #161, Graeme #711.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys20 shared years, 1952–1972
Adrian held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Graeme in 16.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #43 in 1971, Graeme #33 in 1952.
The order changed in 1969: Adrian moved ahead. In 1968 they stood at #72 and #63; by 1969 that had become #60 and #74.
Most recent shared year, 1972: Adrian #51, Graeme #96.
New Zealand · Boys16 shared years, 1959–1975
Adrian held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Graeme in 12.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #54 in 1969, Graeme #24 in 1962.
The order changed in 1972: Adrian moved ahead. In 1971 they stood at #71 and #69; by 1972 that had become #60 and #80.
Most recent shared year, 1975: Adrian #69, Graeme #86.
England and Wales · Boys15 shared years, 1996–2023
Adrian held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Graeme in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #190 in 2009, Graeme #755 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Adrian #262, Graeme #4107.
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 | Graeme |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #70 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #4107 (2023) |
| 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); Graeme does not have one recorded yet.
- Adrian and Graeme both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Adrian; Graeme doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, 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
Graeme
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #33 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 recorded1954–1975
Highest recorded position: #18 among boys in New Zealand, in 1954 (recorded 1954–1975).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #4107 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Boys