Adrian vs Ultan
Adrian and Ultancompared 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2021, Adrian was ranked #249 and Ultan #4789 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Adrian was ranked #249 and Ultan #272 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Adrian was ranked #348 and Ultan #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Adrian and Ultan over time
Adrian and Ultan appear together in 2 published lists, across 78 years of shared records. Adrian held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Ultan 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Adrian and Ultan changed places 10 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1999 and 2023, ending at #249 and #272.
- Longest-running competitions
Adrian and Ultan were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 61 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #348 and #829.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys61 shared years, 1964–2025
Adrian held the stronger position in 61 of those years, Ultan in 0.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #41 in 1975, Ultan #146 in 1969.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Adrian #348, Ultan #829.
Northern Ireland · Boys17 shared years, 1999–2023
Adrian held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Ultan in 3.
Highest recorded here: Adrian #165 in 2010, Ultan #249 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Adrian #249, Ultan #272.
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 | Ultan |
|---|---|---|
| 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, 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 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Adrian has a recorded origin (Latin); Ultan does not have one recorded yet.
- Adrian and Ultan both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Adrian; Ultan doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, 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
Ultan
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #181 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: #146 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1969 (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