Adrian vs Raphael
Adrian and Raphaelcompared 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.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Adrian was ranked #70 and Raphael #415 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Adrian was ranked #244 and Raphael #158 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Adrian was ranked #478 and Raphael #268 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2021, Adrian was ranked #295 and Raphael #326 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Adrian was ranked #348 and Raphael #468 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Adrian and Raphael over time
Adrian and Raphael appear together in 2 published lists, across 76 years of shared records. Adrian held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Raphael 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.
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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2017, Raphael moved ahead of Adrian in England and Wales · Boys — #223 and #235 the year before became #224 and #189.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Adrian and Raphael changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #244 and #158.
- Longest-running competitions
Adrian and Raphael were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 47 years, from 1965 to 2025, ending at #348 and #468.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys47 shared years, 1965–2025
Adrian held the stronger position in 46 of those years, Raphael in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #41 in 1975, Raphael #170 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Adrian #348, Raphael #468.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Adrian held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Raphael in 10.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #190 in 2009, Raphael #156 in 2023.
The order changed in 2017: Raphael moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #223 and #235; by 2017 that had become #224 and #189.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adrian #244, Raphael #158.
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 | Raphael |
|---|---|---|
| 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, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #70 (2025) | Norway · Boys #415 (2025) |
| 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); Raphael does not have one recorded yet.
- Adrian and Raphael both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Adrian; Raphael doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
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
Raphael
Popularity journey
First recorded1965
First recorded at #170 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1965 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #156 among boys in England and Wales, in 2023 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #468 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys