Adrian vs Stephan
Adrian and Stephancompared 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 2008, Adrian was ranked #10 and Stephan #574 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2004, Adrian was ranked #167 and Stephan #351 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Adrian was ranked #244 and Stephan #2088 among boys in England and Wales.
Adrian and Stephan over time
Adrian and Stephan appear together in 3 published lists, across 88 years of shared records. Adrian held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Stephan in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Stephan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Adrian in none. 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 Stephan changed places 6 times in Norway · Boys between 1962 and 2008, ending at #10 and #574.
- Longest-running competitions
Adrian and Stephan were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 41 years, from 1962 to 2008, ending at #10 and #574.
List by list
Norway · Boys41 shared years, 1962–2008
Adrian held the stronger position in 35 of those years, Stephan in 6.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #3 in 2005, Stephan #230 in 1987.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2008: Adrian #10, Stephan #574.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Adrian held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Stephan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #190 in 2009, Stephan #526 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Adrian #244, Stephan #2088.
Republic of Ireland · Boys18 shared years, 1969–2004
Adrian held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Stephan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #43 in 1973, Stephan #196 in 1969.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2004: Adrian #167, Stephan #351.
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 | Stephan |
|---|---|---|
| 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, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Boys #70 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #2088 (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); Stephan does not have one recorded yet.
- Adrian and Stephan both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Adrian; Stephan doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, 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
Stephan
Popularity journey
First recorded1957
First recorded at #446 among boys in Norway in 1957 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1969–2004
Highest recorded position: #196 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1969 (recorded 1969–2004).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2088 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys