Boris vs Hunter
Boris 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2021, Boris was ranked #374 and Hunter #73 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Boris was ranked #1595 and Hunter #78 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2016, Boris was ranked #601 and Hunter #232 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Boris and Hunter over time
Boris and Hunter appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Hunter held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Boris 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.
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
Boris and Hunter changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #1595 and #78.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Boris #721 in 2018, Hunter #44 in 2018.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Boris held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Hunter in 18.
Highest recorded here: Boris #721 in 2018, Hunter #44 in 2018.
The order changed in 2009: Hunter moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #964 and #1085; by 2009 that had become #1265 and #848.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Boris #1595, Hunter #78.
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 | Boris | 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 | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #1595 (2024) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #60 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 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); Boris does not have one recorded yet.
- Boris and Hunter both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Hunter; Boris doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Boris
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #402 among boys in Norway in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded2013–2021
Highest recorded position: #374 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2021 (recorded 2013–2021).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1595 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys
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