Bailey vs Hunter
Bailey and Huntercompared 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 Zealand · Boys
In 2008, Bailey was ranked #68 and Hunter #20 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2014, Bailey was ranked #85 and Hunter #26 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Bailey was ranked #268 and Hunter #52 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Bailey was ranked #249 and Hunter #78 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Bailey was ranked #256 and Hunter #93 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Bailey was ranked #516 and Hunter #162 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Bailey was ranked #795 and Hunter #5891 among girls in England and Wales.
Bailey and Hunter over time
Bailey and Hunter appear together in 6 published lists, across 84 years of shared records. Bailey held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Hunter in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Bailey reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 6 of those lists, and Hunter 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.
- One took the other's place near the top
In New South Wales, Australia · Boys, Hunter moved into the top 50 at #48 in 2011 as Bailey fell out of it to #63, having been #47 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2016, Hunter moved ahead of Bailey in England and Wales · Boys — #130 and #133 the year before became #143 and #117.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Bailey held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Hunter in 9.
Highest recorded here: Bailey #62 in 2005, Hunter #44 in 2018.
The order changed in 2016: Hunter moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #130 and #133; by 2016 that had become #143 and #117.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Bailey #249, Hunter #78.
Northern Ireland · Boys14 shared years, 2008–2024
Bailey held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Hunter in 9.
Highest recorded here: Bailey #129 in 2008, Hunter #70 in 2019.
The order changed in 2016: Hunter moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #150 and #179; by 2016 that had become #281 and #207.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Bailey #256, Hunter #93.
Republic of Ireland · Boys12 shared years, 2012–2023
Bailey held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Hunter in 10.
Highest recorded here: Bailey #286 in 2014, Hunter #91 in 2021.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Bailey #516, Hunter #162.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys10 shared years, 2005–2014
Bailey held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Hunter in 4.
Highest recorded here: Bailey #27 in 2005, Hunter #25 in 2013.
The order changed in 2011: Hunter moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #47 and #56; by 2011 that had become #63 and #48.
Most recent shared year, 2014: Bailey #85, Hunter #26.
New Zealand · Boys10 shared years, 1999–2008
Bailey held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Hunter in 4.
Highest recorded here: Bailey #30 in 1999, Hunter #20 in 2008.
The order changed in 2005: Hunter moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #47 and #52; by 2005 that had become #67 and #36.
Most recent shared year, 2008: Bailey #68, Hunter #20.
England and Wales · Girls9 shared years, 2012–2024
Bailey held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Hunter in 0.
Highest recorded here: Bailey #451 in 2012, Hunter #2901 in 2018.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Bailey #795, Hunter #5891.
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 | Bailey | Hunter |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | An English occupational surname, from Old English 'hunta'/'huntian' ('to hunt') — someone who hunted for a living. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | English, an occupational surname describing someone who hunted |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈhʌn.təɹ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #608 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #60 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Hunter has a recorded origin (English, an occupational surname describing someone who hunted); Bailey does not have one recorded yet.
- Bailey and Hunter both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Hunter; Bailey doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Bailey
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #848 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2014
Highest recorded position: #23 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2004 (recorded 1996–2014).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #608 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Hunter
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #2357 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1999–2023
Highest recorded position: #5 among boys in New Zealand, in 2017 (recorded 1999–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #60 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys